


The Halfa Prince (Book 1)

by SparksNerd



Series: The Phantom King Trilogy [1]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:54:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 47,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25247209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SparksNerd/pseuds/SparksNerd
Summary: One day while down in the lab Clockwork and some Observants come out of the Ghost Portal telling Danny he is the new King of the Ghost Zone (but currently Prince until he comes of age). Danny tries to adapt to being a Prince but finds his new responsibilities scary and stressful. But that is not all the newly appointed Prince has to worry about, for something sinister is lurking in the shadows. Will Danny be able to prevent himself from abusing his new power? Or will he become the new Pariah Dark?*NOTE* This story is also available on WattpadDisclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom
Series: The Phantom King Trilogy [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1829113
Comments: 7
Kudos: 22





	1. An Unexpected Announcement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! My name is Sparks! This story was originally from Wattpad but I decided to start posting here too. I hope you enjoy it!

In a small town not known by many, in a large building with a neon sign on the front of it, were three teens hiding in a laboratory-looking basement. A raven-haired boy sat on a stool while his gothic, violet-eyed friend bandaged his arm which had a rather large gash in it. Next to the boy was an African-American teen who was busily tapping away on his beloved PDA.

The raven haired boy hissed slightly as the bandages around his arm tightened. The girl looked up at her friend, her expression mixed between anger and worry. The boy smiled. "Don't worry Sam, it's just a scratch." He assured her.

The girl's, Sam's, expression immediately turned deadly serious. "A scratch?!" She half shouted, "Danny Fenton, you have a gash about the size of a ruler on your arm that required at least three stitches!" She sighed as she began packing up her first aid kit. "Forget studying Shakespeare, I'm up to my neck in medical books. I swear, at this rate I might as well consider pursing nursing as a future career."

The African-American boy chuckled. "As if you could treat anyone other than Danny. No offence Sam, but you're not exactly a people person."

Sam gained a devious grin on her face. "You have a point Tucker. Though your opinion about me treating other people might change once I make you one of my 'patients'." Sam finished this statement by curling her right hand into a fist and punching it into her left palm.

Tucker yelped in fear and clutched his PDA close to his chest, scooting a safe distance away from Sam. "No thank you ma'am. I do not need a trip to the hospital." Suddenly, Tucker's PDA began to beep and he became engrossed in it again.

Danny smiled and sighed softly.It had been almost a year since the accident that caused ordinary Danny Fenton to turn into the hero known as Danny Phantom. Over the course of one year, Danny had mastered his powers quite well. He no longer went intangible accidentally, could create at least 4 to 5 successful duplicates of himself and his ice abilities had improved greatly. Not to mention all the ghost fighting had caused him to build a little muscle.

But he wasn't the only one of their friend group to have changed. Both Sam and Tucker had better strength, endurance and stamina. Both of his friends had slightly visible muscle tone on them, yes even including Tucker. The technogeek seemed to have built up a lot of his strength by lugging his beloved technology everywhere.

Danny was snapped out of his thoughts by Sam flicking his forehead. "Hey, don't zone out on me Ghost Boy. You're not out of trouble yet." The gothic teen did one final glance over the bandages on Danny's arm before she fully closed her first-aid kit. She then lectured him about remembering to change the bandages regularly. To Danny, it practically went in one ear and out the other.

"Man, this is getting weird." Tucker said aloud. Both Sam and Danny turned to their geeky friend. Tucker held up his PDA, showing graph on the screen with an arrow steadily rising on it. "I don't know how he's doing it, but Skulker keeps upgrading his tech every time you two fight. But there have been no robberies lately that would allow Skulker to improve his tech like this."

Danny slipped a sweatshirt over his head and closed his eyes. "Probably Plasmius. Skulker is his lap-dog after all." Danny rotated his arm a few times, testing the pain and sensitivity of his arm. Due to his advanced healing factor it wouldn't be long until his arm was back to normal but he still had to be careful with it. "He does Vlad a favor in return for upgrades."

Sam silently cursed under her breath. "I swear, that man has nothing better to do than make your life miserable."

The halfa laughed. "Well, I'd assume being Mayor is a tough job. I should be flattered he has time to mess with me." Saying this caused Danny to receive a dagger-filled stare from Sam.

"Honestly, I'm surprised you got injured tonight." Tucker interjected. He tapped away on his PDA, not looking up at his friends who gave him confused looks. "You've been training so much lately and the upgrade on Skulker's system wasn't that large. Mostly just his targeting system and weapons control."

Danny furrowed his brow. "Maybe I'm getting cocky?" He muttered.

"Wouldn't surprise me." Sam answered, lightly punching the halfa's non-injured arm. Danny laughed in response and waved his hand in her direction, sending small ice crystals at her face that landed on her cheeks and eyelashes. 

While Sam wiped off the water on her face with her sleeve, Danny turned back to Tucker. "Did you already update the Ghost Zone Database?" He asked, peeking at Tucker's screen. The Ghost Zone Database was something the three of them had started up not to long ago to record all information about ghosts Danny had either fought or allied himself with.

Tucker nodded in response and his eyes widened. "Wow, it's already this late?! Sam, we better get going."

Sam frowned, but gathered up her things, as did Tucker. The violet-eyed girl shot Danny a look. "You better go straight to bed after I leave mister, or next time I come over you'll be spending an hour in the Fenton Thermos." She warned, her tone intimidating yet concerned.

The young halfa smiled. "I promise. I'm just going to tidy up the lab an bit and then right to bed."

Sam looked a little skeptical about her friend's response, but decided not to push the issue further. Danny showed the two to the door before heading back down to the lab. He needed to make sure there were no traces of his blood or any of the medical equipment behind. It was bad enough he was hiding this secret from his parents, but if his sister found out? Let's just say Danny would be permanently six feet under.

After scouring the lab for any traces of his emergency doctor's visit, Danny walked over to the portal to lock it for the night. Suddenly, a cold sensation in rose in the teen's chest and his breath came out in a blue mist. Danny leaped away from the portal, quickly focusing on my ghost core and letting the cool white rings wash over his body, turning raven hair white, blue eyes ectoplasmic green and a familiar black HAZMAT suit to appear on his small body. 

Glowing green energy illuminated Danny's hands as he gained a battle ready stance, awaiting the oncoming intruder. But, much to his surprise, the ghost that emerged from the portal was none other than the Master of Time himself, Clockwork. He was currently in his middle-aged form.

Danny let the energy fade from his hands as he floated closer to Clockwork, confused. He rarely went to see Clockwork and the elder ghost didn't exactly make house calls. "Clockwork?" Danny managed to say, "What are you doing here?"

Clockwork didn't respond, instead he looked at the clock on his staff and then the portal. Danny's ghost sense went off again as three Observants entered the lab through the portal, quickly taking up spots behind and on either side of the young halfa with Clockwork standing almost directly in front of him. 

"Clockwork? What's going on? Why are you all here?" He asked, staring up at the old spirit. 

Clockwork sighed softly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Apparently, the Observants have very important news for you Danny." He said as he shifted into his toddler form. Clockwork looked as if he wanted to say more, but he appeared to be holding his tongue.

Danny tilted his head in confusion. "Important news from the Observants? For me?" He asked.

"Is the child a boy or a parrot." Muttered one of the Observants.

"This is the child we are trusting the future of our very existence to?" Another thought aloud.

"Silence!" Shouted the third Observant who floated behind Danny. The teen startled and floated closer to Clockwork. He didn't know much about the Observants but from what he'd heard about them from Clockwork and mere gossip from the Ghost Zone, they were not ghosts to be trifled with.

"Danny Phantom!" The three Observants said suddenly, startling the boy once more. "As representatives of the Observant Council, we have come here to tell you that you in line to become the next King of the Ghost Zone."

For many reasons, Danny was secretly glad the walls in the Fenton lab were soundproof. For if they weren't, the entire population of Amity Park would have heard him shout, "WHAT!"


	2. Welcome to Phantom's Keep

Danny slowly floated to the ground, his mouth agape and his eyes nearly popping out of his skull. Did he just hear that right? He was the new King of the Ghost Zone? How is that even possible?! Questions were running rampant through Danny's head, yet his mouth formed no words.

"Is he just going to keep flapping his mouth like a fish or is he going to say something?" One of the Observants said, his tone annoyed. Another Observant shot him a dirty glare, his eye narrowing dangerously, as if warning his companion not to speak another word.

Danny whirled around to face Clockwork, utter disbelief on his face. "This has to be a joke, right? There's no way I'm King." Danny frantically scratched his head while he felt his core pound in his chest.

"You're not the King, Danny." Clockwork told him as he shifted into his toddler form. Danny let out a sigh of relief and visibly relaxed. "You're the Prince." The Time Master finished.

Danny froze once more and he felt his core sink into his gut. He ran his gloved hands through his snowy white hair. "That doesn't exactly make me feel any better, Clockwork." He dragged a hand down his face, pulling on his jaw. "There has to be a mistake. There are probably thousands of other ghosts more qualified to be King or Prince or whatever." He threw his hands in the air. "Why don't you ask Dora or Frostbite or Pandora! Or literally anyone who isn't me!" Danny cried, a tad bit exasperated.

Clockwork sighed once more. "Danny, you are the only one who can take the throne." The wise ghost informed him. He shifted back to his middle aged form as he placed a hand on the panicking teen's shoulder. "You must calm down now."

"But why me? Why now?" Danny asked, gripping his hair. "The Ghost Zone has gotten along just fine without a King for a long time. Why does it need one now? And why is it me?!" The teen shook off Clockwork's comforting hand and floated back and forth in the air, still surrounded by Observants.

"You were the one to defeat Pariah Dark in battle." The Observant floating behind Danny answered. He appeared to be the one in charge as he seemed to be doing a lot of the formal talking, along with his attire being slightly different as he had a gold sash around his waist instead of the typical black one. 

Danny tilted his head. Yeah it was true, he defeated Pariah Dark, but he had a lot of help in doing so. His ghostly enemies and, even though he hated to admit it, Vlad all played an important part in Danny winning the fight while also keeping his own life. 

Before Danny could voice this, the head Observant spoke up once more. "The Ghost Zone has thrived for a very long time without a King, that fact is true." The Observant floated closer to Danny and the young halfa discreetly floated closer to Clockwork. Something about having a giant eyeball staring you down wasn't exactly the greatest feeling in the world. "Yet the Observant High Council has decided it would be best to try and reinstate the monarchy to control the spiral of chaos the Ghost Zone has fallen into." The Observant finished.

Danny turned to face Clockwork, but the Time Master remained silent and his face was void of any emotion. The young boy began to feel a little bit dizzy and started swaying back and forth. Clockwork put out a hand to steady the boy and faced the Observants. "I believe that is more than enough for today." Clockwork warned, pulling Danny close to him, "I have some matters to discuss with the young Prince and it would be best if you left your future King in peace for now."

The Observants didn't move. "I'm afraid that is not possible." One of the lower ranking Observants stated, "We are under direct orders to bring the boy to the castle at once."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Clockwork held back the urge to make a smart remark as he shifted to his elderly form. "If it is of such importance that the young Prince should arrive at his castle tonight, I will escort him there myself." The Time Master answered sternly.

The Observants looked as if they wanted to protest but decided it wasn't worth the effort. They exited through the portal and once the last Observant had left, Clockwork seemed to relax a little. "Every single one of those pompous eyeballs absolutely annoy me to no end." He muttered quietly to himself before sending an apologetic look Danny's way. "I do apologize if all this has startled you or inconvenienced you in any way."

Danny chuckled awkwardly. "I think saying this whole thing has 'inconvenienced' me is the understatement of the year." He rubbed the back of his neck, biting his lip lightly. "I still don't understand. Why a King? Why now? And most importantly why me?" At this point Danny was convinced he sounded like a broken record, but he just wanted someone to give him a direct answer. No dancing around the question, just a quick slap in the face.

"I'll explain on the way, I promise." Clockwork said, as he shifted to his toddler form and floated towards the portal. Danny followed after him like a lost puppy, not really thinking about the fact that Sam would kill him if she ever found out that he broke his promise. Both the Time Master and young halfa passed through the ghost portal and into the green mass of the Ghost Zone. A shiver ran through Danny as he felt the energy from the ghostly realm fuel his core.

"So, about those answers-" Danny began only for Clockwork to quickly cut him off.

"I'm getting there." The Time Master said. Danny quickly flew to Clockwork's side, his lips sealed. He knew better than to push Clockwork for information. Clockwork let out a small sigh. "To be completely honest, this has little to do with you defeating Pariah Dark in combat." Danny's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to say something, but quickly shut it after realizing he would be wise to not interrupt Clockwork.

"It was not an official battle for the throne, so you defeating him had next to no meaning." Clockwork continued, shifting to his middle aged form. "Chaos in the Ghost Zone in reaching to nearly uncontrollable levels. With the added interference of Vlad Masters, or Plasmius as he likes to call himself, even the Observants themselves have found reason to put a stop to the disorder in this realm."

Danny had to agree with Clockwork there. Vlad was behind a lot of the problems in the Ghost Zone. He was the one who freed Pariah Dark, he broke into the Observants' sacred Council Courtroom and freed Vortex who was in the middle of a trial, and countless minor issues that Danny couldn't be bothered to even think of.

"There were many ideas floating around, but eventually the Observants came to me seeking advice." The Time Master said this with grimace. Danny wondered if it was possible for ghosts to get migraines, as Clockwork looked like he was having one. "They demanded I show them the best course of action for the future of the Ghost Zone, and since I'm still on thin ice with them I had to oblige." Clockwork's grip on his staff tightened as he thought about what to say next. "I observed many possible futures, and many of them involved reinstating the monarchy. The next step was to decide who would take the throne."

Danny's expression turned to mild confusion as Clockwork went on. "The Observants needed someone strong and determined to take the throne. Someone who could handle any issues thrown at them, someone who could take the Ghost Zone's burdens and rest them on their own shoulders." Clockwork's eyes fell on Danny, "In the end, they chose you."

Danny began furiously scratching his head as he continued to fly alongside Clockwork. "Wait a second. You told me once before that they wanted to kill me. And even when I returned Vortex to their custody they still gave me kinda mean glares with their giant eyeball heads." Danny cupped his hands around his eyes for emphasis and gave Clockwork a mock glare. "What made them choose me?"

"Apparently they were willing to look over your past... mishaps and saw all the good you had done protecting your town from countless ghosts and invasions.They recognized your ability to lead and believed you were the best to restore order to the Ghost Zone." Clockwork shifted to his elderly form as he continued, averting his eyes away from Danny and focusing on the endless green of the Ghost Zone. "Not only because of your abilities, but because you are also technically one of us. The only difference between you and the rest of the ghosts in this realm is the fact that you are not fully controlled by your desire."

Danny stopped dead in his tracks. This was news to him. He knew that he was recognized as a half-ghost by the majority of his enemies, but this was the first time he was recognized by a higher power in the Ghost Zone. "No time for stopping," Clockwork called back to the teen as he continued flying through the zone, "the Observants will have my head if I don't deliver you to the castle."

The young halfa quickly flew to catch up to the elder ghost and matched his pace. "So, the Observants really think I'm best suited for this?" Danny asked, not yet fully convinced. 

Clockwork shook his head from side to side. "Not exactly." He said, switching his staff from one hand to the other. "At first, when the subject of you becoming the next King was brought up, they immediately had their doubts. But I pushed the case and they eventually agreed that you were truly their best option."

"Wait," Danny said, his expression turning to one of disbelief, "you were the one to convince them to make me the next King?!" He cried out so loud one had to wonder why every resident in the Ghost Zone wasn't pouring down on the two ghosts telling them to be quiet.

Clockwork grimaced, shifting back to his toddler form. "Yes, I deeply apologize for that. I know this is the last thing you want, but I have faith in you that you will be a good King." Clockwork eyed the teen warily. He knew that the teen was far from ready to become a Prince, let alone a King but he really had no other choice. It was either Danny or... Clockwork didn't even want to think of the alternative.

Clockwork turned his attention to ahead of them and saw their destination approach. He tapped the teen on the shoulder, snapping him back to reality. "Welcome to your castle, young Prince." Clockwork chuckled, trying to make light of the situation.

Danny bumped into Clockwork and shook his head before his eyes focused on the sight before him. The young halfa's eyes widened as he took in the massive castle. The once blood red castle now had a black and white color scheme. The stones that built up the castle were a smooth black and the roofs were tiled white. Black flags flew off the top of the towers with the teen's white DP symbol on them. Before the castle entrance had looked like screaming mouth but now it just looked like a normal entrance. There were two large white pillars on either side of the giant white door and on the door was the teen's trademark DP symbol in black. 

"I do hope this is all to your liking." Clockwork said, turning his gaze on Danny once more. The teen was silent, his jaw slack and his eyes nearly popping out of his skull. Clockwork waved his staff in front of the teen's face. "Is something wrong?" He asked, slightly concerned.

"This," the teen began, "is all mine?" His eyes were wide with amazement and a mixture of joy and confusion was all over his features.

Clockwork suppressed a smile and it turned into a smirk as he shifted back to his middle aged form. "Was the color scheme paired with your symbol everywhere not obvious enough?"

Danny rubbed his eyes as he let out a small laugh. "Just wanted to make sure no other ghost was copying my style."

Clockwork smiled at that. He was glad the boy had not lost his sense of humor in all this. "So would you like to just float out here all day or would you like to see the rest of your castle?" He asked. Danny smiled in reply as he did a loop-de-loop in the air before flying straight for the castle. The Master of Time happily shook his head as he watched the teen's rapidly shrinking figure and began to fly towards the castle himself. The two ghosts arrived at the main doors of the castle and Danny hovered there, unmoving, as if he had never seen a door before. 

Clockwork moved forward and tapped his staff on the 30 ft doors. They creaked opened to reveal a grand entryway. Danny and Clockwork floated into the castle as Danny took in the amazing sights around him. The entry hall was enormous. The ceiling had to be at least 50 ft up and the main floor 20 ft from side to side. A large chandelier made of crystals and diamonds hung from the middle of the ceiling. Suits of armor holding swords in a saluting position lined the walls. Tapestries adorned the walls with historical events in Ghost Zone history. Danny was even shocked to see a tapestry of him fighting Pariah Dark on the wall close to the main doors. Alongside the tapestries were banners that held the young hero's symbol in a variety of styles and colors. A thin black and white patterned carpet rested on the grey colored floor and led to another set of black doors with a white DP symbol on it and swirling silver markings on the other end of the entry hall.

The young halfa spun around in circles taking in everything around him and looking upon his new castle in awe. "Wow." Danny whispered to himself. Clockwork did not slow and continued down the hall, shifting to his elderly form halfway down the hall. Danny noticed this and sped up a little to catch up to the Time Master while still looking around the entryway. Before he knew it, Danny crashed face first into the next set of doors. He fell onto the ground stunned and quickly reached for his now very sore nose. Danny looked up at Clockwork to see that the ghost had a hand over his wrinkled eyes and was grimacing slightly.

Danny quickly rose to his feet, chuckling awkwardly and fighting hard to control an embarrassed blush. "Sorry. This is still a lot to take in all at one I guess." Danny apologized, locking his fingers behind his back and rocking back and forth on his feet.

Clockwork removed his hand from his eyes and smiled softly at the young halfa, reaching out to pat his shoulder comfortingly. "It's quite alright. But please to try to remain focused when the Observants are present. They are quite picky about that." Clockwork warned.

Danny nodded, "I'll try." 

With that, Clockwork opened the next set of doors and Danny's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. The doors led to a grand foyer and it was filled with many ghosts all wearing a maid, cook, or other servant type outfit. They were flying all around the room, cleaning, dusting, rearranging or preparing something. All of a sudden they dropped what their individual tasks as attention was drawn to the two ghosts who had just entered the room, namely Clockwork and Danny.

Danny watched as every pair of eyes on him widened at once and he heard a couple of ghosts gasp. "It's the Prince!" a little green skinned ghost girl with braided blonde hair and glowing red eyes wearing a maids outfit cried. All ghosts in the room started bowing and muttering apologies about the state of the castle. 

The teen's head whipped from side to side as he watched the ghosts bow before him. He looked to Clockwork for help but the old ghost seemed to be incredibly interested in his staff at the moment. Danny raised his hands apologetically and waved awkwardly. "Um, hi." He began. "You don't have to bow. I don't mean to interrupt."

The ghosts stopped bowing and a male ghost with light blue skin and slicked back white hair wearing what looked like an old fashioned butler's uniform stepped forward. He gave a short and small bow to Danny before resuming his stiff posture. "Greatest apologies sire. We were not expecting you so soon. The castle isn't even fully ready for your celebration." The butler ghost said, with a proper English accent.

Danny's furrowed his brows in confusion. "My celebration?" He asked as he looked to Clockwork who was now in toddler form. "Do you know what they are talking about?" 

The old ghost looked at Danny and raised an eyebrow. He raised his staff and lightly tapped Danny on the head. "Your birthday is coming up soon is it not?" He informed the teen.

His birthday? Danny's eyes widened. He couldn't believe that in all the craziness that had been happening the past few weeks that he forgot about his own birthday. "Huh," Danny said, rubbing the back of his neck, eyes unfocused, "I guess it is."

"And not shortly after your birthday is the day you gained your ghost powers, correct?" Clockwork said. After thinking back a little bit, Danny nodded. "Well," Clockworkcontinued, "the Observants thought it was a brilliant idea to announce your ascension to the throne on the day you gained your powers." Clockwork gestured to the grand foyer and the ghosts flying to and fro. "So they began to prepare the castle for your birthday so then it would be ready for the announcement the five days after."

Danny tilted his head in confusion. "Why so ahead of time?" He asked.

Clockwork adjusted the time on his staff as he coolly said, "So it looks nice when you tell your friends and family about this." 

Danny's eyes nearly popped out of his skull as his core sank into his gut."What do you mean, 'when I tell my friends and family about this'?" If he was being honest, yes Danny had to agree that he couldn't keep this a secret from Tucker and Sam or even Jazz, but why did his parents have to know?

The Master of Time's expression turned serious. "Danny, there is no way that you will be able to keep you being the next King of the Ghost Zone from your friends. And eventually you will have to tell your parents the truth about everything." Clockwork watched as the boy began pacing back and forth after hearing his words, obviously distressed. Clockwork sighed and reached for the boy's shoulder, stopping him in tracks. "Danny, I am not going to force you to tell your family, nor will I tell you the best choice for you." The older ghost offered, "But I do suggest you attempt to open up to your family more. You have seen that they will accept you for who you are." Danny bit his lip and reluctantly nodded in agreement and understanding.

The teen sighed, scratching his head and ruffling his snow white hair. "This is a lot to process Clockwork." He said, slightly pained. "Since I came here, is it alright to go home now?"

"Um, excuse me sire?" A voice with an English accent said before Clockwork could even open his mouth to reply. Danny and Clockwork turned to face the butler who had spoke to the young hero just a few moments ago. 

"Um, yes?" Danny answered. He felt kinda uncomfortable about being called sire, but he made no mention of the fact.

The butler ghost nodded, his face expressionless as he replied, "Everything is fine sire, but you have a guest waiting for you in the throne room." After relaying that bit of information the butler ghost went back to his duties. 

Danny once again tilted his head in confusion. "A guest? The Observants?" I asked Clockwork, who had shifted into his middle aged form, but he was already heading for a large staircase on the other side of the grand foyer. Danny huffed, annoyed, but followed after Clockwork regardless up the grand staircase at the other end of the room. At the top of staircase rested a pair of solid black doors with green swirled markings covering it. Clockwork floated up to the doors and halted directly in front of them, stopping Danny in his tracks before he bumped into the older ghost.

"Danny." Clockwork said, his tone quite stern. "Before we go in there promise me that you will not do anything rash." His expression showed no signs of joking, not that it normally did, and Danny felt oddly unnerved by the warning.

Danny crossed his arms and squinted his eyes. "What do you mean by that?" He asked.

Clockwork just shook his head as he shifted to his elderly form. "Just try to be on your best behavior." With that he opened the doors exposing a large throne room. It was huge but Danny didn't have much time to admire it as his attention was drawn to a familiar ghost with a flaming purple cape and glowing green sword standing near the back of the room. 

"Fright Knight!" Danny shouted flying straight at the Spirit of Halloween, fists glowing with green energy. 

All of a sudden, Danny was halted in his flight by something grabbing the neck of his suit, slightly choking the teen. "What did I just say about not being rash?" Clockwork questioned, annoyed as he held the struggling teen in his elderly but strong grip.

Danny looked back at Clockwork, immensely confused. "But it's Fright Knight!" The teen shouted, exasperated. "He's my enemy!" 

"Not anymore." Clockwork said, releasing the teen though still making sure that he stayed in between Danny and Fright Knight. Danny frowned at Fright Knight, strongly resisting the urge to fire an ectoblast at him. Fright Knight was standing beside what Danny assumed was the throne. Black stone steps led up to the throne. The frame was built of white metal with black cushions. A white banner with my symbol hung above the throne. 

Danny opened his mouth to ask about Fright Knight's presence only for Clockwork to hold up his purple gloved hand. Clockwork closed his eyes and shook his head. "All will be explained when the Observants arrive." He floated closer to the ground and towards Fright Knight and the throne.

Danny frowned, following after the Time Master but making sure to keep his distance from Fright Knight, who hadn't moved a single muscle. He seemed to be aware of the young hero's mistrust and was not going to do anything to provoke the teen. "And when exactly will that be?" Danny asked, crossing his arms unhappily. 

Clockwork looked at the clock on his staff. "Right now." He answered as he shifted back to his toddler form. Sure enough, 5 Observants entered the throne room just as Clockwork finished his statement. The Observants stood on either side of the Fright Knight, completely undisturbed by his presence. 

"Danny, you may sit down if you would like." Clockwork said, gesturing to the throne next to Fright Knight.

The teen glanced at the throne, then at Fright Knight and took a small step closer to Clockwork. "I think I'll just stand for now." He replied eyeing the throne warily. 

Clockwork nodded. "As you wish." He then turned to the Observants. "Now I do believe the Observants have many things to discuss with you." He finished. Clockwork turned to leave, but then quickly rethought his actions and returned to the teen's side. Even he had trouble dealing with the Observants so Danny would need some advising. Not to mention he was still on edge due to Fright Knight's presence. Danny shot him a grateful smile as he faced the Observants.

"Danny Phantom," One of the Observants began. "the Observants Council understands that this is all sudden-" 

"No kidding." The young halfa muttered under his breath causing Clockwork to tap me lightly with his staff, silently reprimanding him. Danny sent Clockwork a glance of apology before going back to listening to the Observant.

"-but you must understand that now you will have large responsibilities as well as high expectations." The Observant finished, closing his giant eyeball.

"Any idea on what those would be exactly." Danny asked, hopeful that he didn't sound rude.

A different Observant spoke up this time. "We will allow you to continue living your normal life, and all that comes with it." Danny smiled at this. Then the Observant continued, "But it will be expected of you to attend to your Princely and eventually, Kingly duties." The Observant hid his hands in his sleeves as he leaned closer to Danny. "You will also be required to move to the Ghost Zone permanently after your coronation." 

That last part threw Danny off and he stumbled backwards away from the Observant. "Wait, WHAT! Move to the Ghost Zone permanently?!" Danny shouted, placing his hands on his chest. "I can't do that! You may have decided to make me the next King of the Ghost Zone, but I'm also a regular human kid." Danny threw his hands up in the air while turning to Clockwork for support. 

He was in his middle aged form as he nodded at Danny. "I agree with the young Prince." Clockwork said, placing a hand on the teen's shoulder, "He needs to live out his human life." Clockwork felt the tension in Danny's shoulder lessen as he sighed softly after hearing that. It must have comforted the teen to know that someone was on his side for once about this.

"But he must attend to his royal duties." A third Observant interjected. 

Clockwork mentally rolled his eyes. Observants were very stubborn and he knew that they would not be easily moved on this subject. Especially after everything Clockwork had shown them. "Perhaps we can come to an agreement on this." Clockwork said shifting into his middle aged self. "Danny is allowed to live out his human life as normal, with regular visits to the Ghost Zone to attend to his duties." Clockwork floated closer to the Observants, fiddling with his staff. "When he is a few years older he will stay here for longer periods of time. At some point, he may choose to live here permanently, whether it be before his 'time' or not, but until that time do these terms sound reasonable? Observants? Danny?" Clockwork looked from the Observants to the young halfa.

Danny mulled it over and it sounded alright to him. Regular visits to the Ghost Zone didn't sound to bad; he usually went into the Zone at least once a week to regain some ecto-energy anyways. And in a few years he should be able or have told my parents about my ghostly abilities. I may not decide to live here full time but for now what Clockwork had laid out seemed reasonable. Even though he was still really against becoming the next King of the Ghost Zone, Danny agreed that this was the best possible option for him at the current moment until he could find a way out of this.

"I agree." Danny announced proudly.

Clockwork glanced over at the teen and nodded, giving him a rare smile. The Observants seemed to be discussing among themselves. While they were huddled in a little circle, Danny's attention was drawn back to Fright Knight, who had been silent the entire time. Danny didn't even think that he had even moved from his spot.

The Observants broke apart and Danny's attention returned to the frail looking ghosts. "Through unanimous vote, we representatives of the Observant Council agree with these terms." The 5 Observants said in unison. 

Danny clapped his hands and smiled. "Great now that that's been dealt with, can someone please tell me what he is doing here?" He said, pointing at Fright Knight. Fright Knight finally moved as he adjusted his position to face the young hero.

"Quite simple, young Phantom." An Observant wearing a gold sash - which Danny began to recognize as a sign of leadership among Observants - said, "He is to be your bodyguard." 

Danny took a second to process what the Observant had just said before he jerked his head from looking at the Observants to Fright Knight and back to the Observants. "What?! Why?!" He asked, slightly panicked.

"Even if we do not make a public announcement until we are nearer to the date of your coronation, word can spread around the Ghost Zone quickly if someone were to catch sight of the castle." The head Observant continued. 

"So to prevent any harm towards you before your coronation, Fright Knight will be with you at every moment to ensure your safety." Another Observant finished.

"I... He... But." Danny stammered. 

While Danny struggled to form words, Fright Knight finally spoke up. "Regardless of what you may think Phantom, I wish for peace in the Ghost Zone." His tone was sincere and he even offered Danny a small bow.

Danny whipped around to fully face Fright Knight. "Don't you work for Vlad now? He certainly doesn't want peace in the Ghost Zone and he hates me! Why should I trust you?" Danny interrogated. 

Fright Knight rose and took a step towards Danny. "My loyalties lie first and foremost with the King. Plasmius had ordered me to spy on you and that is how I learned you were the next heir." Fright Knight then gestured to the Observants. "I was approached by the high council to once again resume my duties of serving the King." Fright Knight curled his right hand into a fist and pounded it against his chest. "I have not told Plasmius of your status and he still believes I am loyal to him." 

Fright Knight drew his sword, holding it out in both hands and knelt down onto one knee, bowing his head. "I am your humble servant. I believe in my core that you can restore order to the Ghost Zone, and that you can undo the damage Pariah Dark's rule brought."

The room was dead silent after that. Danny stood in front of Fright Knight stiffly, not knowing how to respond to that. He looked over at Clockwork hoping the Time Master would assist him once more he appeared to be busy with his staff again. Danny frowned and returned his gaze to Fright Knight. Clearing his throat Danny said, "Thank you Fright Knight. Um, you may rise." As Fright Knight rose to his feet, Danny faced the Observants once more. "Alright, I'll have Fright Knight as my bodyguard but he has to stay out of sight. He can't be seen by my friends, family, or any other human or ghost I know." He said clearly, making it clear he was putting his foot down on the matter. 

The Observants muttered among themselves again. "Agreed." They said in unison.

Clockwork slammed his staff down on the ground, drawing the attention to him. "Good, I am glad we can all agree on something. Now that this is over, Danny I do believe you should get home. School starts in a few hours." Clockwork said in his elderly form. 

Danny groaned. "Aw man." Without another word, he flew out the doors of the throne room, down the long staircase, through the grand foyer, and out the main doors of the castle. "I am going to be dead tired at school tomorrow." He muttered to himself as he flew toward the Fenton Ghost Portal.


	3. The Life of a High School Halfa

By the time Danny reached the Fenton Portal, transformed back into his human self and climbed into bed it was nearly 4:30 in the morning. Danny mentally groaned as he curled up under the covers, praying he could at least get a good hour and a half worth of sleep.

Unfortunately for Danny, not shortly after he closed his eyes the young hero was roused from his peaceful slumber by a beeping alarm clock. He slammed his hand down on the snooze button before throwing the covers up over his head and clutching onto them tight, wishing just for a few more seconds of precious sleep.

"Danny, sweetie! You better get up or you'll be late for school." Maddie Fenton yelled up the stairs, destroying Danny's hopes for a slightly longer sleep in an instant.

The teen sighed as he threw off his covers and planted his feet on the floor. "Coming!" He shouted back, half yawning. He stood up scratching his chest as he walked by his dresser mirror, noticing the bandages from last night. He would have to change them before going to school today or Sam would have his head. He quickly reached under his bed for his private first aid kit, removed the old bandages, and applied medicine to his wound before re-wrapping it in fresh bandages. He would have to ask Sam to check on the stitches eventually, but things like that could wait.

After quickly getting dressed in a pair of comfy jeans, his signature white and red shirt, and slipping on a red hoodie to hide the bandages, Danny headed downstairs for breakfast. He walked into the kitchen where Maddie Fenton was busy cooking pancakes and Jack Fenton was sitting at the table tinkering with one of his many ghost catching tools. "Morning Danny." Maddie said cheerfully as she walked over to Danny and placed a plate of pancakes in front of him. 

"Morning." The teen replied, still half asleep as he dug into his pancakes.

Jack noticed his son's state and put down the ghost weapon he was tinkering with. "Something bothering you son?" He asked, trying to get Danny's attention.

Danny resisted the urge to laugh. There was so much on his mind right now. Learning he was a newly dubbed Prince-to-be, he was to trust one of his old enemies to protect him - not that he needed protecting - and the fact that he had to find a way to break the news to his friends. Danny sighed, "Not a thing. I'm just still sleepy." He answered, taking a bite out of his pancakes.

Jazz Fenton entered the kitchen, her nose buried in one of her many psychology books. She breezed by the table, snatching an apple and taking a bite out of it, not once taking her eyes off the book she was reading.

"Morning, Princess." Jack said, shooting his elder daughter a smile.

Jazz nodded in reply before shuffling back into the living room. Jack looked kind of dejected at not getting a reply from Jazz but he quickly brushed it off and smiled as he resumed tinkering on the ghost device.

Danny finished his pancakes and placed his dishes in the sink. He walked into the living room to see Jazz sitting on the couch, Danny's bag in her hand and an angry expression on her face. "Mind telling me what happened last night?" She asked, making it sound more like a demand.

Danny lowered his head, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he walked over to Jazz. "I had a little fight with Skulker, no big deal." He muttered, reaching for his bag.

"No big deal?!" Jazz cried out, but making sure to keep her voice low enough so their parents wouldn't here. She pulled the bag away from Danny's reach, her eyes burning with fury and worry. "Sam texted me last night." Jazz admitted. "She said she had to give you four stitches! Stitches Danny!"

"Whatever." Danny grumbled as he tried to lunge at his backpack.

Jazz sidestepped the teen, causing Danny to crash into the couch instead. "Wrong answer." She scolded. "This is serious."

"Look I'm fine Jazz. See?" Danny replied, swinging his injured arm around in circles with ease. He was starting to get really annoyed. Lack of sleep paired with everything that happened last night had him in a very bad mood. He didn't need Jazz lecturing him on top of all that. Danny held out his hand to Jazz. "Now can I have my bag? I kinda need to get to school sometime this century." Jazz frowned and reluctantly handed over the bag. Danny slung it over his shoulder and dashed out the door, shouting a quick goodbye to his parents.

Danny ran into the alley beside his house to transform, only to crash right into Fright Knight. The teen fell backwards and his ghost sense went off just as he made contact with the cement. "Fright Knight!" He half-shouted, getting up and ignoring the pain radiating up his spine. "What are you doing here?!"

"I am here to protect you, as was agreed upon last night." He replied, pounding his right fist on his chest. "I am to be with you at all times."

Danny's eyes widened and he violently shook his head. "No no no, you cannot come to school with me. Can't you just go back to the Ghost Zone or at the very least stay here today? There's nothing for you to protect me from at school, and even if there was I am capable of defending myself."

"But Your Highness-" Fright Knight began before Danny held up his hand to stop him.

"And don't call me Your Highness." Danny interrupted. "If we are seen together, call me welp like everybody else." Danny watched as Fright Knight became more and more confused. He couldn't help but feel a little bad about all this. Fright Knight had been dragged into this and was more than likely just as unhappy as Danny was about all this.

The teen transformed into his ghostly alter ego and took off, flying towards the school. Danny's ghost sense went off once more and he turned around to see Fright Knight following him. "Dude, seriously!" He shouted, stopping in mid-air and turning to face his ghostly bodyguard. "You don't have to follow me just because the Observants told you to! Just hang out at some haunted house and come get me if those giant eyeball-heads want a check-up."

Fright Knight stopped and relaxed his posture slightly. "I am not doing this because I was order by the High Council to do so." Fright Knight said, his tone deadly serious. "I told you before, I myself believe that you can restore the Ghost Zone to its former glory." He placed his hand over his swords handle, closing his green eyes. "When I first heard of your crowing, to my surprise I felt relief. I had fought you in battle, seen you defeat my former master and face off against countless enemies on your own and emerge victorious." 

Danny watched as Fright Knight floated closer to him and give him a small bow. "The Time Master spoke of your great wisdom for one of your age and informed me that you would make a great King." The flaming ghost straightened his back, staring into Danny's eyes. "I am here of my own will, to protect the future savior of the Ghost Zone and ensure that he will bring forth an age of peace among all ghosts."

Danny was at a loss for words. He had no response to Fright Knight's speech and was even having a hard time processing it. "Um... Thanks." He replied awkwardly. Danny felt that Fright Knight was being honest with him and he felt a new form of respect for the ghostly knight.

Fright Knight nodded in response and floated past Danny. He looked over his shoulder at the teen and his eyes seemed to smile. "Shall we be off then? Lest you be late for school?" He offered.

Danny gasped as he heard the warning bell go off, signaling that he had five minutes to get to first period. The teen mentally cursed as he zoomed past Fright Knight towards the school. His ghost sense went off again making the teen aware that his bodyguard was sticking close. As they drew close to the school and the grand building came into focus, Danny remembered one last thing he needed to tell Fright Knight.

"Hey Fright Knight!" Danny called over his shoulder. The ghost flew to Danny's side and gave him his full attention. "People at school don't know that Danny Fenton is not really a wimp so I have to let myself get beat up. So if you happen to see me getting bullied don't stop it." He informed the ghost. "Or even when another ghost attacks the school and I have to fight, you can't get involved. My friends know you and if they see you fighting by my side then they might start asking questions."

Fright Knight tilted his head slightly at the young halfa. "I understand my liege. But why must we keep this a secret from your friends? Are you not a team?" He asked.

Danny scratched the back of his neck. It was true. Sam and Tucker were his best friends and he shared everything with them, especially ghost related stuff. But when it came to him becoming the next Prince or King or whatever, he felt like he needed a bit more information and planning before he even told his friends. He was also trying to look for a way out of this still so hopefully he would never have to tell them this. He relayed this to Fright Knight who was understanding of these facts.

The two ghosts arrived at the school and landed behind the school near a dumpster. Danny transformed back into his human form and turned to Fright Knight one last time. "Remember, stay invisible, don't interfere, and keep quiet." The young halfa instructed.

Fright Knight nodded and turned invisible. Danny would still be able to keep track of him through his ghost sense, he would just have to make sure that it didn't go off too often otherwise someone might catch on to it. Danny adjusted his backpack and walked to the front of the school where his friends were waiting on the steps.

Sam and Tucker spotted their friend and quickly walked over to him. "And where have you been?" Sam questioned. She grabbed Danny by the wrist and began dragging him into the school. "Explain on the way otherwise we'll be late." She said.

Danny stumbled along until he matched Sam's pace. "Oh, I just slept in." He replied.

Tucker jogged alongside the two, squinting at his male friend's face. "Did you get enough sleep dude? The bags under your eyes are ridiculous." He asked, slightly concerned.

Danny nodded, waving off Tucker's concerns. Before he could say another word, Sam dragged him into Lancer's English class and the three friends took their seats mere seconds before the bell rang. 

As Lancer began the lesson, Danny felt a small cold feeling build up in his chest as he suppressed his ghost sense. Fright Knight must be nearby, as expected. Danny realized that this might take some getting used to.

GREETINGS! IT IS I, THE ALL MIGHTY LINE BREAK! YOU MAY SHOWER ME IN OFFERINGS AND CONTINUE READING!

After what felt like forever, the bell rang signaling the end of Lancer's English lesson. As everyone packed up and filed out the door Mr. Lancer reminded everyone to do some sort of assignment on whatever piece of Shakespeare they were working on. Danny could care less about the assignment. He knew he would forget about it until the last minute or be too busy to finish it. The teen considered skipping lunch to get a head start on whatever the project was.

As Danny walked out of the classroom he felt the cold sensation build up in his chest again. Danny hissed the breath out to avoid his ghost sense becoming visible. He would have to talk to Frostbite or Clockwork about finding a way to avoid having his ghost sense continuously go off or something like that. 

He began walking to his next class when he bumped into an all too familiar face. As Danny stumbled back a few steps to catch his balance, he heard an annoying voice say, "Watch where you're going, Fentoenail." It was unmistakably Dash Baxter. Danny lowered his head, causing his bangs to fall over his eyes. He mumbled an apology as he attempted to walk past the bully.

Dash grabbed Danny by the front of his shirt, lifting the teen up slightly and getting right in his face. "What was that Fenton? You got something to say." The jock growled. A crowd began to form around the two, and soft chanting of the word 'fight' began.

Danny felt his heart begin to pound. He knew that he told Fright Knight to not get involved but this was turning risky and he wasn't one hundred percent sure the ghost knight would keep his promise. His expression remained cool, but he couldn't help the beads of sweat that were forming on his brow. "I don't have time for this today Dash. I'm gonna be late for next period." Danny said, trying to get out of Dash's grip.

"Not so fast geek," Dash chuckled, "I have a knuckle sandwich with your name on it." Danny watched as Dash curled his free hand into a fist and get ready to punch Danny. The young halfa felt the temperature around him drop as his ghost sense went off once more. Fright Knight! He had to be close. Danny tightly shut his eyes, praying that the punch would be quick and Fright Knight would keep his promise.

"What is going on here?!" A voice shouted through the crowd. Mr. Lancer emerged from the sea of people, his face nearly red. "Mr. Baxter, Mr. Fenton, stop this foolishness right now before I give you both detention!" He scolded. Dash immediately dropped the smaller teen and became very small and sheepish. "Now all of you," Mr.Lancer continued, "get to class before you all will be spending your time in the detention room after school." After hearing that, the crowd dispersed as everyone hurried off to their classes.

Danny smoothed down his shirt as he continued on his way to his next class. While walking through the halls, Danny caught sight of his two friends who had mysteriously disappeared in his time of need. He waved at them, catching their attention and they walked over to join up with him. "Whoa dude, what's up?" Tucker said, seeing the annoyed look on Danny's face. 

The young halfa frowned. "Where were you guys?" He asked. "Dash was about to beat me up and I had no backup." Not to mention he now had a ghostly bodyguard that was more than likely about to kill Dash, but he was still working out how to tell them that.

Sam scowled at Tucker and crossed her arms. "We were a little busy too." She replied. "Tucker was on the verge of being clawed to death by Paulina after he spilt his milkshake on her new top." Tucker blushed slightly and avoided Sam's eyes.

Danny chuckled. "Now I kinda wish I was there to see that." He said, causing him to receive a glare from Tucker. "Anyways we should get to class, we're gonna be late." The three friends headed to their next class together and got in the classroom just as the bell rang.

Hey everyone. Normal Line Break here. Man it feels weird to be here. Totally refurbished lounge filled with comfy couches, snacks, alcoho- I mean applie juice. Yeah... Just, go on reading the chapter.

The bell rang for the end of the day and Danny ran out of the classroom as fast as he could. Today had been a peaceful day with no ghost attacks and he was able to work on and finish Lancer's assignment over lunch. As he reached the steps outside someone called out to him. "Danny! Wait!" The teen looked around for the voice and saw Sam and Tucker walking towards him. "Dude we need to talk." The technogeek said.

The two of them grabbed Danny's arms and led him to the dumpster beside the school. "Danny what's going on, you've been acting weird all day." Sam said, looking concerned. You didn't even have lunch with us."

Danny smiled, "I just had some work to do. Don't worry everything's fine." He adjusted his bag and walked around them only for Sam to gently grab his wrist arm.

"Danny," she began, her eyes filled with worry, "is there something you're not telling us?" 

Leave it to his friends to notice everything about him. He wanted to tell them everything so bad but he was hoping to talk to Clockwork about this whole situation one more time before deciding whether or not he would even have to tell them about this whole 'Prince' business. Hopefully he could renounce the title or something and move on with his life.

"No." Danny replied as he pulled his wrist out of her grasp. "I think I might have to skip patrol tonight. Call me if you guys see something and need my help." The teen said as slipped on his hood and began to walk home. His friends made no attempt to follow after him.

A heavy feeling of guilt rested in Danny's gut as he walked home. He regretted being so cold to his friends and lying to them, but it wouldn't be for long. If he couldn't get rid of the 'Prince-ship' then he would be honest and tell them everything.

While he was still contemplating all this, Danny hadn't even realized he had arrived at home. Which was kinda funny as the glowing neon sign and giant OPS center were a tad hard to miss. He started walking up the steps when his ghost sense went off and something grabbed the young halfa's arm, pulling him into the alley beside the house. Danny transformed into his ghostly alter ego as his arm was released. Danny's hands glowed with green ecto-energy but it faded as Danny quickly recognized his supposed attacker.

"Fright Knight." Danny sighed, slightly relieved. He placed a hand on his chest and commanded his racing heart to slow down. "Don't do that!" The teen scolded, "I thought you were an enemy." 

"Apologies my liege." The ghost knight said apologetically as he bowed. "But I must speak with you on a few matters." 

Danny glanced over his shoulder before turning back to Fright Knight. "Can you make it quick?" He asked. "I don't know when Jazz will get home and it might be hard to explain why I am hanging out with one of my 'enemies'." 

Fright Knight nodded in understanding. "Very well." He said, "I watched over you after your lessons ended and your friends confronted you. Why did you not tell them about your new status?" Fright Knight finished, slightly disapprovingly. 

Danny rubbed the back of his neck. "Yes, and I plan to keep it that way. For now at least." Danny answered, adding under his breath, "I hope I won't have to tell them at all." The young halfa took a deep breath in and let it out slowly, asking, "Anything else?"

"Yes, I must report back to Plasmius tonight." Fright Knight informed. "As you know, I was ordered to spy on you and he expects a report."

Danny nodded. "Yeah I get it. I'll behave while you're gone, don't worry." He said, partially joking. He wasn't exactly sure why, but Danny was starting to feel more and more comfortable around Fright Knight as time passed; even though they had barely spent more than a day together.

Fright Knight seemed to raise an eyebrow beneath his shadowed helmet and shook his head. He turned to fly off, before stopping suddenly. "Oh and one last thing." He said over his shoulder. "Clockwork came to me and told me to tell you that is expecting you at his tower." With that the Spirit of Halloween flew off. 

Danny smiled, this was his chance to get rid of him being the Prince. White rings washed over him as he turned back to his human self and walked into the house. "Mom, Dad I'm home." Danny called. No answer. Danny ducked into the kitchen and saw a note on the table. 

'Jazz and Danny, Your father and I had to run out for a bit. There is some leftovers in the fridge next to the ectoplasmic samples. Will be home by 7. Love, Mom.'

Danny grinned as he wrote a note as well saying that he was at the library studying. Afterwards, Danny ran up to his room, grabbing a watch before heading back down to the lab, transforming as he went and flew into the Ghost Portal. He turned invisible and headed straight for Clockwork's Tower.


	4. A Gift

As he continued to fly through the Ghost Zone, Danny kept glancing at the watch on his wrist. The only way to get to Clockwork's tower was to find the one place in the Ghost Zone where time stood still. It sounds easier than it is as Clockwork's tower tends to move around. As Danny continued to fly he noticed Skulker's Island to his far left. Danny made sure to make a sharp right. He glanced at the watch on his wrist once more and noticed the hands begin to slow. Danny then began to slowly float around, waving the watch around until he found the place where his watch stopped completely. The young halfa slowly approached the area until he felt his body become lighter. In a small flash of light, Danny was gone.

When Danny opened his eyes he was staring at the massive tower surrounded by gears. He flew to the main doors, giving them a small knock. The doors creaked open noisily and Danny flew inside. He flew through the main lounge and up a small staircase to where Clockwork's chamber was. He knocked on the door and waited patiently outside until he heard a faint, "Come in."

The young halfa pushed open the doors. Clockwork floated in front of his viewing glass in his middle aged form. When Danny entered he quickly waved his staff over the screen and turned to Danny. "Welcome, Danny." He said with a rare smile. He began to float towards the back of the room where two couches rested. Danny followed after him taking a seat after being offered one by Clockwork. "Before we get started on why I called you here, I believe you have something to say to me." Clockwork said, shooting Danny a smirk.

Danny sighed, of course Clockwork already knew why he really wanted to be here. "Seriously Clockwork, is there no way for me to get out of becoming the Prince or King or whatever?" He asked, sounding slightly desperate.

The Time Master shook his head. "I'm afraid not. The Observants orders are absolute and once they decide on a plan, they stick with it to the bitter end." Clockwork answered. He shifted to his elderly form as he continued, "They have chosen you as their new King and you can't change that." 

Danny's face fell as he realized he was stuck in this situation. "So that's it, huh?" He said solemnly. "I'm going to become a King whether I want to or not."

Clockwork fiddled with his staff as he saw the teen getting more and more upset. His face suddenly lit up as an idea struck. He would cheat a little, just to lift the teen's spirits. "Danny." Clockwork began, drawing the teary eyed teen's attention. "I know this is a lot to throw at you at one time, but I have seen your future. I cannot tell you what your future is as that could severely damage the time stream but, in the end, you make the right choice on what to do with the throne." Clockwork told him.

Danny's teary eyes disappeared in an instant as he thought over Clockwork's words. The older ghost rose from the couch, shifting into his toddler form as he crossed the room. He floated over to a small mantle on the side wall and grabbed a small black box off the top of it. He returned to the couch and sat close to Danny. "I hope this might excite you slightly." Clockwork said, offering the box to the teen.

Danny took the box cautiously and looked over it. There was nothing really special about it. It was a plain black box the size of his palm with an emerald clasp shaped like a skull keeping it shut. Danny opened the box and gasped as his eyes fell upon the contents. An all too familiar completely green ring with a green skull with red eyes and a black background circle. The young halfa looked to Clockwork, worried and confused.

"After the final defeat of Pariah Dark and his formal arrest by the Observant Council, both the Ring of Rage and Crown of Fire were put into my possession." Clockwork explained. "I was to give them to the new King when I deemed he was ready." He placed his purple gloved hand on the box and gently shoved it closer to Danny. "I believe you are ready to take the first step towards becoming the King; but the decision is entirely yours."

Danny stared at the glowing ring. It seemed to be calling to him, tempting him with unlimited power. It scared and intrigued the teen at the same time.

"If you are worried about the sudden shift in power, I must inform you that without the Crown of Fire the ring is next to useless." The Time Master said suddenly. Danny looked back at Clockwork, feeling slightly relieved at hearing that. The young halfa removed the ring from the box and placed it on his right ring finger. He felt a cold shiver run down his spine as a small surge of power flowed through him and into his core. 

Clockwork placed a hand on his small chin as he shifted back to his middle aged form. "Though, there are some perks that can come with the ring." He added with a mischievous smirk. Clockwork took the small box from Danny and rose from the couch once more. "Stand up." He told the boy. Danny did as Clockwork said, feeling slightly shaky on his feet. "Now. Let the energy in your core flow through you, just as Frostbite had taught you to control your ice powers." Clockwork instructed. 

Danny nodded and closed his eyes, thinking back to his training from Frostbite. The energy flowed through his veins and he felt a cold sensation wash over his body. When Danny opened his eyes he was staring at an elderly, smiling Clockwork. "Now, go look in the mirror." Clockwork said, gesturing to a long rectangular mirror of to the side.

The young halfa walked over to the mirror and his eyes widened in amazement. His regular HAZMAT suit was gone, and in its place was a set of regal looking clothes. He had solid white boots and his pants became a more cloth-like material and were black on the sides. He had a black long sleeved shirt with white on the collar, and in stripes running down his arms and his DP symbol in the center of his chest in white. He wore a shiny white cape that was attached to his shoulders by silver clasps and it flowed behind him gracefully. Danny walked towards the mirror and placed his hand on the glass, as if trying to confirm that it was really him reflecting in that mirror.

Clockwork couldn't help but chuckle at the boy's childlike amazement. "I assume that this look is to your liking then." He said, floating closer to the young halfa. Danny whipped around and nodded so hard Clockwork feared that the teen's head would fall off. The Time Master smiled, "I'm glad you like it."

"Like it?!" Danny shouted, a wide smile plastered on his face. "I love it!" He jumped in the air and began flying in circles, looking back at the cape flowing behind him. He laughed loudly as he soared around the room, doing some twirls and spins and one or two loop-de-loops. He landed on the ground beside Clockwork, still grinning from ear to ear.

"I am pleased to hear that." Clockwork said, shifting to his middle aged form. "Now, this ring does not come with just a fancy new costume change, Danny. It is an opening to a whole new world of power." He advised. Danny lifted the ring to his own face, staring deep into the eyes of the skull on the ring. Clockwork continued, "If you would like, I could help teach you how to control it so when you are given the Crown of Fire you will be ready."

Danny looked to Clockwork, utterly shocked as his jaw dropped to the floor. He quickly composed himself, forming a small smile. "That would be awesome." He said to Clockwork.

The older ghost fiddled with his staff. "Is it safe to take that as a yes then?" He asked, causing him to receive a knowing look from the teen. "Excellent." Clockwork said, "Now you have both a regular Phantom form and a Phantom Prince form. To switch between the two just focus on the unfamiliar energy you feel in your core and bring it forth." 

Danny nodded and did as he was told, focusing in on his core and searching for a new and unfamiliar source of power. He found it and commanded it forth, letting the energy flow through his body. He felt the cooling sensation of the white rings wash over his body and when he opened his eyes he was back in his regular HAZMAT suit. Danny looked over his body, observing his reflection in the mirror as if checking to make sure everything was where it should be. His eyes then widened as he noticed the Ring of Rage was missing.

Clockwork watched the teen begin to panic as his head whipped around looking for the ring. The Time Master decided to quickly reassured him before the poor teen gave himself whiplash. "The ring rests within your Prince transformation. It is completely safe, do not fret." He told Danny.

Danny sighed with relief, though he still looked at the hand which the ring formerly rested upon. He flexed his hand, thinking it odd that he knew it was still there but he could not feel it.

Clockwork nodded as he floated back to the large viewing screen near the front of the room. "Now with that settled, I suggest you get back home. The library is closing soon." The Time Master warned gently. He heard the teen gasp, shout a quick thank you and fly out of the tower through the window. Not the most polite exit but Clockwork would allow it, this time. The screens in front of the Time Master flickered to life showing swirling masses of blue. He began to watch over present events, making sure the parade went on interrupted.

Suddenly, Clockwork heard the clinking of glass and noticed a few of his screens shaking and bumping into each other. He looked to his left and noticed the books and other objects he had resting on the mantles shake, with some falling off the mantles and onto the floor. The entire castle itself seemed to be shaking. The Time Master watched as he screens flickered slightly, with the images becoming staticky and a small buzzing noise to echo through the room. Less than a second after the event began it stopped.

The Time Master's grip on his staff tightened. This was odd. More than odd, it was... unheard of. His screens show the progression of time flawlessly. There was never a time in all of history where his viewing screens showed any sign of interference. The elder ghost stroked his long beard in thought. Something big was happening in the Ghost Zone; and Clockwork feared it would bring forth many troubles for him.


	5. Honesty is the Best Policy

Danny arrived home and was able to walk through the door a mere minute before his ten o'clock curfew. His parents didn't question his outing and he assured them that he grabbed dinner at the Nasty Burger. Saying he was tired, Danny went straight up to bed. The teen flopped onto his bed after shedding his regular clothes and changing into his pajamas. As Danny snuggled into his blankets he heard a tapping sound on his window. The teen grumbled as he looked at the window to see Fright Knight floating on the other side.

The teen got up with a start and tumbled out of bed, falling hard on the ground as his ghost sense went off. He winced, hoping his family hadn't heard him. After a few moments of silence, Danny deemed it safe and transformed to his ghost form, phasing through the wall and pointing to the roof before Fright Knight could say a word. The two flew to the roof and landed quietly. The young halfa turned to Fright Knight. "What's up?" He asked.

"I came to inform you that Plasmius still does not suspect anything." The bodyguard said. "How went your meeting with the Time Master?" 

"It was fine." Danny replied, glancing at his right hand absent-mindedly. 

Fright Knight noticed this but chose not to comment. It was not his place to question his Prince. He was there to protect, not interfere. "So," the ghostly knight began, "have you made your final decision on the Prince-ship?"

Danny froze. He now had the Ring of Rage in his possession, making him that much closer to being the next Prince or King or whatever you wanted to call him. He knew that he had both Clockwork's and Fright Knight's faith in him, but what about Danny himself? Danny sighed. "Until further notice, I am going to go through with this." Danny declared. "I am going to go along with whatever the Observants want and see where it takes me."

Fright Knight seemed to smile in the darkness cause by his helmet which hid his face. "That is good to hear, my Prince." The armor clad ghost walked closer to Danny and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I suggest you get some rest now sire. You have school tomorrow after all." He said gently.

Danny yawned in response and felt immediately embarrassed. He bid good night to Fright Knight and phased through the roof back down to his room. He transformed back into his human self and nestled under the covers, closing his eyes and falling asleep.

But Danny was not able to rest. His dreams were filled of him running through an endless corridor while voices shouted at him, demanding he help them or reprimanding him for not attending to his duties. Danny eventually startled awake in a cold sweat. He looked over at his alarm clock and saw that it read three o'clock in the morning. Danny sighed heavily as he flopped back onto his pillow. This Prince thing was killing him; he needed to talk to someone about this. The teen's eyes widened as his eyes went to his door. There was someone he could talk to but it might end in his death. Oh well, he was going to take his chances.

Danny slowly got out of bed and tip toed to his door. He opened it as silently as he could, closing it the same way, before creeping down the hall to his sister's room. He gently tapped on the door. No response. Danny opened the door, dashed into the room and shut the door behind him. He walked over to Jazz's bed and lightly grabbed her shoulder, shaking the older girl awake. "Jazz." Danny whispered. "Wake up."

The bright haired girl slowly creaked her eyes open. "Mm, what time is it?" She asked groggily as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"That's not important." Danny replied, waving off the question. He pulled on Jazz's arm to lead her into sitting upright on the bed. "I need to talk to you about something really important." He continued.

Jazz was immediately wide awake. She smoothed down her bed head and flicked on the lamp beside her bed. She patted the open space on the bed beside her and Danny took a seat. "What's wrong little brother?" She asked, giving the teen her full attention. Danny rarely came to her with anything; if he wanted to talk Jazz was going to be there to listen. 

Danny shifted nervously on the bed. "There's a lot I've been keeping secret from everyone." He started. "You, Sam, Tucker. I've been hiding something from all of you because I thought I could deal with it on my own. But, I really can't." He leaned on her shoulder and the older girl wrapped her arm around her brother.

"Whatever it is Danny, you know we're here to help you." Jazz assured him. 

Danny tilted his head up at her and smiled. He lowered his head and sighed. "Some powerful ghosts in the Ghost Zone have decided it be best if they bring back the monarchy." He began. "They have chosen a ghost to be the de facto Prince until they hold a coronation next week."

Jazz titled her head in confusion, looking down at her brother. "But, what does all that have to do with you?" She asked.

Danny stood up from the bed, ignoring his sister's confused looks. He turned to face her, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. He searched deep inside his core, drawing out the new and unusual power. White rings lit up the room as they washed over the teen, transforming him into his ghost Prince form. "Because I am the ghost they chose." He answered. 

Jazz's eyes turned into saucers as her jaw fell to the floor. Her mouth opened and closed, trying to form words but merely making small squeaks instead. Danny clasped his hands behind his back as he rocked back and forth on his feet awkwardly.

"So... What do you think?" He asked, swinging his arms.

The elder Fenton sibling closed her mouth and leaned back slightly. "It's..." She trailed off. She looked over Danny's appearance, rubbing her eyes once more. "It's surprising, to say the least." She said. Jazz stood up and walked over to her brother, crossing her arms and smirking. "So, my little brother is a Prince huh?" She said. 

"A partially unwilling one, yes." Danny replied, fiddling with the ring on his finger. He was surprised at how well Jazz seemed to be taking this. "Clockwork and Fright Knight both believe in me and tell me that I will be the one to restore the Ghost Zone to its former glory, but I don't know." He ran his gloved hands through his hair, pulling on it slightly. "I'm not even halfway through high school yet! I'm still a kid, what do I know about running a kingdom, let along one filled with people who hate me and want to kill me!" 

Jazz grabbed Danny by the shoulders, guiding him to the bed and sitting him down. "Okay, slow down." She said, taking a seat next to him. "I agree, you're way too young for this. But I bet that Clockwork guy will plead your case and find a way for you to not do anything until you're ready for it." She said.

Danny shrugged. "I don't know. I thought it was all a joke at first and they were just using me as a placeholder until they found someone better but this," Danny held up his right hand and stared at the Ring of Rage, "kinda makes it all seem real."

Jazz hummed in thought. She hugged her brother close, patting his hair. "Well, if you do become King, just know that I'm here for you. I support you no matter what happens. And so will Sam and Tucker, once you tell them of course." The way she said that last bit seemed like she was telling Danny to explain everything to Sam and Tucker before she did.

The young halfa let the white rings wash over his body, returning him to human form. He hugged Jazz back. "Thanks Jazz. I needed this." He whispered gratefully.

Jazz kissed the top of her brother's head lightly. "Anytime little brother."

The two parted ways for the night, with Danny feeling like a weight had just been lifted off his chest. He exited Jazz's room and returned to his, settling down in bed and falling into a dreamless sleep.

Back in Jazz's room the teenage girl sat against her headboard, thinking over what her brother had just told her. This was major news and Danny obviously wasn't ready for this. She wondered if this Clockwork guy knew what he was doing. Or if he had an ulterior motive at work. All she had was suspicions currently, but she was going to be keeping a close eye on her brother from now on.

i am the littlest line break. it's really cool to be here. this lounge is much better than the one in the other story i was part of. they have deluxe chocolate cookies. it's great. oh hi by the way! you can go back to the story now

Danny awoke to the sound of his alarm clock. He groaned as he got out of bed, scratching his head. He was thankful that it was Friday. He got up, checked on his injury from his fight with Skulker. It was all healed thanks to his quick healing abilities. Smiling, Danny tossed the old bandages in his trash bin and ran his fingers over the small scar the stitches had left behind. It was small so it wasn't like his parents would notice it and ask questions. He got dressed in his classic white short sleeved tee and blue jeans before running down the stairs for breakfast.

He ate a quick breakfast, said goodbye to his parents and raced out the door. He got down the steps and crashed into an invisible wall. He fell back on the steps, looking around wildly as his ghost sense went off.

"Apologies my liege. Are you injured?" A familiar voice came from in front of Danny. He felt invisible hands lift him to his feet and brush off his shoulders. Fright Knight.

Danny nodded. "I'm fine." He whispered, grabbing the straps of his backpack. He started walking towards the alley beside his house when he heard a car honk. He turned to see Jazz sitting in her car. 

"Hop in." She called. "I'm giving you a ride today." Jazz leaned over and opened the passenger seat door. Danny looked over at where he assumed Fright Knight was floating and climbed into the car. Jazz began driving towards the school and the ride was silent.

"So you're going to talk to Sam and Tucker today, right?" Jazz said suddenly, stealing a quick glance at Danny. 

Danny looked over at his sister, who's eyes were glued to the road. "Yeah, totally." He answered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean, they're my friends after all."

"I meant about you being a Prince now, Danny." Jazz said sternly.

Danny huffed, "I know what you meant Jazz." He rested his elbow on the armrest of the passenger door. "I'll talk to them. I promise." He mumbled.

Jazz smiled, looking at Danny in the corner of her eye. "Thank you." She said. "Trust me, you'll be glad you told them in the long run." Danny grumbled in response and the rest of the car ride was dead silent.

Jazz pulled into the parking lot of the school, parking the car and turning off the ignition. She and Danny both exited the car and began walking to the front steps of the school. As they approached the steps Danny noticed Sam and Tucker waiting for him. Jazz gave Danny a quick pat on the shoulder as a goodbye before dashing into the school. Danny steeled himself and began walking towards his friends. He approached them with a smile.

They gave him questioning looks in return. "Danny, what's going on with you. You totally bailed on us yesterday." Sam started, approaching her friend. 

"You're lucky it was just Box Ghost last night." Tucker added. The technogeek quickly adopted a concerned expression. "We also ran into Cujo. He's apparently guarding the cemetery. You should probably go see him and take care of him, since you're the only one he kind of listens to." He finished.

Danny smiled. "I'll be sure to do that. Thanks for letting me know Tuck." The halfa replied. His friends stared at him, as if waiting for him to give the explanation for his actions yesterday. The warning bell rang and Danny slowly walked past them and up the steps of the school. "After school at Nasty Burger." Danny said. "I'll explain everything." With that, Danny disappeared into the school leaving his two friends on the steps. 

Danny walked down the halls towards his class when his ghost sense went off. The teen's eyes darted around, looking for an enemy when he felt a hand lightly tap his shoulder. He knew it was just Fright Knight. "I am proud of you my liege." The teen's bodyguard whispered to him. 

Danny smiled slightly. "Thanks Fright Knight." He replied softly. Fright Knight's faith in him was greatly appreciated by the teen, though he wondered if his own confidence would hold out. Jazz was on his side and readily supported him and deep down in his heart Danny knew that his friends would too, but he couldn't help the seeds of doubt that grew in his mind. 

The young halfa entered his classroom and took his seat with his friends following close behind. They both sent him looks that said they weren't letting him get away after school. Danny smirked slightly. He knew that he was doing the right thing.

I am the Posh Line Break and I must say I am the happiest out of everyone about this book getting remastered. Nothing like improving on your old work I always say! Please continue to enjoy the chapter :)

Danny, Sam and Tucker were currently seated at a booth in Nasty Burger. Tucker and Sam were on the same seat while Danny sat alone on the one opposite them. They were all silent and no one made a move to start a conversation. Danny shuffled awkwardly under the intense gaze of his friends. He sat there wondering how to start the conversation. "So," he began, "I know you guys have questions about my behavior yesterday." The goth and technogeek nodded. "Well, it's because I recently got some concerning news." Danny finished.

Sam and Tucker's expressions turned to ones of concern and worry. Before they could start asking a million questions, Danny held up his hand. "Please hold all questions for the end of the presentation." He said with a smirk. Sam shot him a half-glare and Tucker sank into the booth seat, slightly annoyed at his friend but relieved to see he still had his sense of humor.

Danny leaned closer to the table, beckoning his friends closer as well. The other teens leaned closer, giving Danny their full attention. "I'm supposed to keep this on the down low," Danny started, "but the Observants have decided to bring back the monarchy." This statement was met with confused looks from Sam and Tucker. "That means there's a new Ghost King, or Prince for the time being at least." Danny added.

Sam and Tucker's jaws dropped to the ground. Their mouths opened and closed, trying to comprehend what Danny had just told them. The young halfa nodded, "Yeah, and I met him too. Seems like a pretty nice guy."

Tucker slammed his hands on the table. "Dude! You have to tell us who he is!" He whisper-shouted, obviously being conscious of where they were. Sam nodded in agreement. 

Danny looked around and stood up from the booth. "Outside. I'll introduce you to him." Was all he said as he walked to the door with Sam and Tucker hurrying after him. The three teens exited the restaurant and went behind the building. Danny could practically sense the confusion radiating off his friends, but he couldn't help wanting to tell them in the flashiest way possible. Once they had reached the back of the building, Danny turned to face his friends.

"Meet the new Prince of the Ghost Zone." Danny said as he searched for the new energy in his core and drawing it out as white rings washed over him, revealing his Ghost Prince form. The young halfa smiled widely as his cape flew gently in the breeze. "What do you think?" He asked nervously. Sam and Tucker's eyes were as large as a deer's in headlights. They were once again speechless and frozen to the spot. Danny walked up to them and waved his hands in front of their faces. "Anyone home?" He asked jokingly.

Sam was the first to snap out of the daze as she leaned forward. "You're a Prince? How? And since when?!" She cried out, scrunching up her hair.

"Well," Danny began, "it's kind of a long story.". Sam and Tucker both walked towards the back wall of Nasty Burger and sat down. Danny smiled softly and transformed back into his human self, joining his two friends. He told them about Clockwork and the Observants visiting him, the desire to reinstate the monarchy, why they chose Danny and the most recent development of Clockwork giving him the Ring of Rage. His two friends listened in stunned silence the entire time. Once Danny was finished with his tale, he awaited his friends' responses.

"I guess the major question here is whether or not you're going to go through with this." Tucker responded finally.

Danny was silent. He lowered his eyes to the ground and let his bangs cover his face. "I'm still not sure." He replied, running a hand through his raven locks. "I don't see a way I can get out of this and the more I try the more hopeless it seems." As Danny finished his sentence, his ghost sense went off.

"Please do not say that my liege." A comforting voice said from behind Danny. Sam and Tucker scrambled to their feet in surprise, their eyes darting around the area. Danny chuckled softly as he stood up.

"Sorry, I forgot to mention one last thing." Danny said. He turned around and nodded. Fright Knight dropped his invisibility and revealed himself to the two humans. The two teens immediately freaked out. Sam and Tucker jumped forward and pulled Danny closer to them in a protective manner.

"Dude, it's Fright Knight!" Tucker shouted, pulling on Danny's arm while also eyeing the ghost 's knight's sword warily. He had been struck with it once before and he did not want to relive his worst fear ever again.

"Yeah." Danny replied. "He's my bodyguard."

Fright Knight drew his sword as he knelt to the ground, pointing his sword at the ground. He lowered his head, "I am here to serve the future Prince as his protector and faithful servant." He said, with a powerful, sincere tone in his voice. Danny tapped him on the shoulder and the ghostly knight rose, sheathing his sword.

Danny turned back around to face his friends. Tucker was as pale as a sheet and Sam was rubbing her temples. "This is way too much information for one afternoon." Sam muttered. Tucker seemed to agree with her sentiment based on his slow nodding.

The halfa snickered. "Yeah, I guess." He agreed. 

Once Sam and Tucker had finally recovered from the shock of all the information given to them today, the three teens began their walk home. "So," Tucker began, "is Fright Knight with you all the time? Even at school and home?"

"Yeah." Danny answered. "He is kinda playing double agent though so he has to go back and check in with Vlad-" his friends immediately sent him warning glares and Danny quickly assured him the Fright Knight was loyal to only Danny, "-but other than that he's always near to keep an eye on me." The halfa laughed slightly and puffed out his chest proudly. "Though I don't get why I need his protection. I can handle myself just fine." He said, a hint of cockiness in his voice.

In response to his smart comment, Danny felt a hand smack him upside the head. The teen stumbled forward but quickly regained his balance and whipped around, shooting an angry glare at the air. "You have my deepest apologies my liege, but I felt it was quite necessary." A voice said from behind Danny. The teen whipped around again and took a swing at the air, hitting nothing. This caused his friends to laugh, while Danny fought a blush.

"I think having this guy around may not be so bad after all." Sam said, earning her a glare from Danny. She smiled in response to the glare. "Anyway, moving on, what are you gonna do Sunday?" She asked.

"Sunday?" Danny questioned, thinking about what could be special about Sunday.

"Oh my gosh, you forgot your own birthday dude?!" Tucker exclaimed, laughing. Danny's eyes went wide. In all the chaos that had been going on the last two or so days he had completely forgotten. In two days he would turn 15 and just five days after that he would be the official Prince of the Ghost Zone. Danny relayed this to his friends and they immediately sympathized.

Danny arrived at his house and said goodbye to his friends, but not before saying that they could have the night off of patrol to make up for him bailing on them yesterday. They begrudgingly agreed yet still made Danny promise to call them immediately if he ran into any trouble. Danny went into his house and up to his room, collapsing onto his bed. He heard a tap on his window as his ghost sense went off and got up, walking over to the window. 

"What's up Fright Knight?" Danny asked, leaning on the windowsill. It shocked Danny to realize how used to this he had gotten. 

"I must report to Plasmius once again. I may not return until tomorrow morning." The teen's bodyguard informed him. "Until then I ask you to be safe on your patrol tonight." Danny felt a breeze of air against his face, more than likely meaning that Fright Knight had flown off.

Danny rolled his eyes as he shut his window. "When am I not safe?" He asked aloud. His eyes then widened as he hunched his shoulders and walked back to his bed. "It's probably best if I don't think about that one too much." He said, pulling out his homework and sitting on his bed to start it.

IT IS I! THE GREAT AND POWERFUL LINE BREAK! THE BRIGHT LIGHT OF JOY IN THE CHAPTER! GIVE ME YOUR PRAISE AND OFFERINGS! NOW CONTINUE ON WITH THE CHAPTER!

Eleven o'clock at night. The streets were empty and quiet. The people of Amity Park were asleep in their beds. All except for one man, up in City Hall.

In the Mayor's office, the room was dimly lit as the Mayor himself sat behind his large oak desk. A floating figure stood in front of the desk, awaiting the Mayor's response to his report. "Thank you for the report Fright Knight." Vlad Masters said, stroking his beloved cat, Maddie. "Your service is always appreciated." Fright Knight gave a small bow in reply, before excusing himself from the room.

Vlad sat back in his chair, resting his elbows on the armrests and placing his fingertips together. "Something is amiss in my fair city." He muttered, a smile on his face. Maddie curled up on his lap, rubbing her furry head on Vlad's chest before settling down for a nap.

"I agree." A shadowy figure said from behind Vlad. "Yet, you do not appear to be concerned by this."

Vlad chuckled. "My dear friend, when something is amiss in Amity Park, it can lead to a greater reward for me in the future." The billionaire replied.

The shadowy figure narrowed their eyes at the elder halfa. "I do not understand your words Plasmius, but I can agree that this is an excellent opportunity for us." The shadowy figure floated closer to Vlad's chair. "Did you also sense something amiss with your loyal servant?"

Vlad nodded. "Fright Knight has become quite secretive. His reports are bland and lacking any sort of crucial details that would be seen in a report written by a ghost about his enemy." He mused, stroking Maddie gently. The cat purred happily and nuzzled closer to Vlad's abdomen. 

"I must agree with you once more." The figure said, quite unhappily. A chill suddenly washed over the room. "You have another guest." The figure said before melting back into the shadows.

Vlad stood from his chair, gently carrying Maddie to her luxurious cat bed. As he placed her down on the bed, Skulker phased into the room. "And what business might you have with me, Skulker?" Vlad asked, not once looking up at the hunter. He made sure Maddie was comfortable before returning to his desk.

"I have some information that I think you would find most valuable." Skulker answered, a smug look on his robotic face.

Vlad sighed as he sat back down in his chair. "What would that information be?" He asked, slightly annoyed. Vlad had dealt with Skulker many times before and each time the buffoon rarely had anything worth Vlad's payments to him.

"Definitely worth the price." Was all Skulker replied.

"And what would that information be pertaining to, exactly?" Vlad continued as he began flipping through files on his desk. He would entertain the hunter, then refuse his offer once he had heard the story and continue with his paperwork.

Skulker noticed Vlad's disinterest and smirked. Skulker opened his mouth and said two words that immediately grabbed Vlad's attention. "Pariah's Keep." 

The elder halfa dropped all his paperwork and stood up quickly, sending his chair flying backwards. His eyes were locked on Skulker, daring the hunter to say it was a joke. Realizing his dramatic reaction, Vlad quickly composed himself and pulled his chair back to the desk, sitting down. He rested his elbows on the desk and folded his hands, resting his chin on his hands. "You have my attention." Vlad said.

"Two automatic energy traps, one net launcher, three blaster upgrades and a complete power suit with an advanced firewall." Skulker said, crossing his metal arms. His green eyes glowed with greed as he smiled at the billionaire. 

Vlad's eyes narrowed dangerously. That was certainly a very large price to pay for potentially useless information. But Skulker had never come to him before without demanding a somewhat fair price for his information. Vlad agreed to Skulker's terms, "I warn you Skulker, your information better not disappoint."

Skulker floated closer to Vlad's desk. "You have my word, Plasmius." Skulker raised his arm and pulled up a holoscreen. He tapped on his arm and a picture of Pariah's Keep appeared. "This is Pariah's Keep after Pariah Dark was resealed in his tomb." Skulker said. He tapped on his arm once more and pulled up another picture. "This is Pariah's Keep two days ago."

Vlad stared at the picture. The castle looked different. It had a new color scheme, flags flew proudly off the top of every tower and it looked vastly different from the first picture in practically every other way. The elder halfa squinted at the screen, trying to get a better look at the flags flying off the tops of the towers. "What symbol is on those flags?" He asked.

"That is something I do not know." Skulker answered. "I tried getting closer to the castle to look, but there was an invisible force field around the castle, as if someone didn't want anyone getting close to it." The holoscreen disappeared as Skulker continued. "I tried to enhance the image by zooming in on it with my optical scanners but whenever I got close to seeing a clear image I would see nothing but static."

Vlad placed a hand on his chin, his gaze lowering to his desk. "Highly suspicious." He said to himself. Vlad looked up at Skulker once more, raising an eyebrow, "Though I am not sure this is worth all that you have asked for."

Skulker laughed. "I thought you would say that. That is why I prepared one additional bit of information, just out of the kindness of my heart." The ghost said, placing a hand on his chest.

"How generous of you." Vlad replied, monotone.

The hunter pulled up another picture on his holoscreen. It looked to have been taken not too long ago. "I ran into the whelp you are so fond of tonight and discovered something rather interesting." Skulker said as he enhanced the image. "He tried to capture me in that thermos of his but I was able to escape due to this small distraction." The image finally came into focus and it showed a fuzzy picture of Danny Phantom in an outfit vastly different from his usual HAZMAT suit. "I was going all out tonight and just as he was ready to pull out the thermos, he suddenly collapsed to the ground. He was enveloped in a bright light and when my scanners adjusted to the change in the light, I saw this. It lasted for less than a second though as he returned to normal."

Vlad observed the image closely. Danny seemed to wearing more normal looking clothes. At first Vlad thought it was nothing more than an illusion caused by the blurry image, but he did a double take when his eyes fell upon Danny's right hand. It was incredibly blurry but Vlad would recognize the object on Danny's right ring finger anywhere. "May I have this image?" Vlad asked, though it sounded more like a demand. Skulker obliged and gave Vlad a copy of the image which the billionaire downloaded onto his computer. Skulker then took his leave, reminding Vlad that he would be back in a few days to retrieve his payment.

Vlad stared at the picture in silence. The shadowy figure from before came out of the shadows and hovered by his side. "I told you." It whispered, tauntingly.

"My sincere apologies for doubting you." Vlad replied halfheartedly, never tearing his eyes away from the image. He once again sat back in his chair. "But how does this help our plan?" He asked.

"With the castle under new management there is chaos running rampant through the Ghost Zone." The shadowy figure replied, inhaling deeply. "It's delicious." It whispered softly. The shadowy figure breezed past Vlad, hovering in front of the desk. "I can get what I need without anyone noticing. Then the real fun can begin." The figure finished.

Vlad smiled, rising from his chair and going over to where Maddie was sleeping soundly on her little cat bed. "I leave it to you then." He said, kneeling down to stroke the cat. "In the meantime I am going to do my own little investigation on our dear knight."

The figure left without another word, leaving Vlad alone in the room. Maddie moved her shoulders as she stretched, rising from her slumber and curling up to Vlad's leg, nuzzling her head against Vlad's hand which had stopped petting her. "Oh, I am sorry Maddie." Vlad said as he resumed petting the cat. He smiled. All his pieces were now on the board, and he was certain he was going to win.


	6. Birthday Tremors

It was midnight. Danny Fenton was currently sitting on his bed, wide awake and shivering with fear. He had gone on patrol by himself that night and ran into a few low powered ghosts, nothing he couldn't handle by himself. Then he ran into Skulker and that's where things got complicated.

The two had fought and Danny was just about to capture Skulker, when he had felt a surge of energy explode from his core. For a brief moment he had transformed into his Prince form, but he had quickly contained the power and transformed back. Though he was unsure whether or not Skulker had seen his form, he was terrified that the hunter had seen it. Currently, no one in the Ghost Zone aside from Clockwork, Fright Knight, the Observants and the castle staff knew of his new status. If it were to get out to his enemies that he was next in line for the throne of the Ghost Zone it would be disastrous.

Danny jumped as he heard a tap on his window. He clutched his comforter tightly as he looked over at the window, letting out a sigh of relief when he saw it was just Fright Knight. The knight phased into Danny's room, his glowing green eyes showing concern underneath the darkness of his helmet. "My liege, you seem distressed about something." Danny's bodyguard said.

The teen chuckled, backing up and sitting on his bed. "That's a bit of an understatement." He answered. Danny explained to Fright Knight what had happened during his fight with Skulker and his fears about the hunter seeing his Prince form. Fright Knight had pulled up a chair to sit in front of Danny and listened in silence as the teen informed of the night's events. Danny even told Fright Knight about Clockwork giving him the Ring of Rage but Fright Knight admitted that he had long known about Danny's ownership of the ring. Fright Knight told him that Clockwork had consulted with him about giving Danny the ring, much to the halfa's surprise.

When Danny finished his story, Fright Knight's mood seemed to become gloomy. "I offer my deepest apologies, my liege." He began, rising from the chair and kneeling in front of Danny. He lowered his head. "I was not here to watch over you, as is my sworn duty. For that I accept any punishment you give me." The bodyguard finished.

Danny's eyes widened as he raised his hands. "No, it's not your fault Fright Knight." Danny quickly assured. He glanced at his right hand and clenching it. "It's my fault I don't know how to control the power of the ring yet." He sighed.

Fright Knight rose to his feet. "Why don't you go to the Time Master?" He offered, resting his hand on his sword. "Tomorrow is Saturday. You do not have school."

Danny looked up at Fright Knight. He had a point. The teen smiled, transforming into his ghost form. "Great idea! Thanks Fright Knight." The teen said gratefully. 

The ghostly knight waved off the compliments. "I have done nothing deserving of your thanks." He answered.

Shaking his head, Danny patted his body guard on the shoulder as he began to phase through the floor. He soon noticed that Fright Knight wasn't following after him. "Um," Danny said, with just his upper body sticking out of the floor, "aren't you coming too?"

"I have not been summoned to his side." Fright Knight answered, without missing a beat. He started to phase through the floor. "I will escort you to his realm, but I will not remain. I trust the Time Master to keep you safe in my place." He finished as he passed through the floor. Danny raced after his bodyguard. They arrived in the basement and passed through the portal without a word. Fright Knight turned invisible upon their arrival in the Ghost Zone as to not attract attention to Danny. They traveled in silence as Danny continued to glance at his watch, looking for the place where time stood still. There trip was short as less than ten minutes after entering the Ghost Zone, Danny's watch stopped. The teen was enveloped in a bright light and vanished.

When Danny opened his eyes again he was staring up at Clockwork's Tower. Without a moment's hesitation he flew straight into the tower, ignoring manners by not knocking. Clockwork would forgive him. He more than likely already knew about the situation. 

Danny barged into Clockwork's main chamber and saw the Time Master floating in front of a large viewing screen. The screen showed no images nor a series of events - or 'parade' as Clockwork had put it once - yet Clockwork seemed to be enticed by the screen. Danny cleared his throat as he knocked on the already open door, slightly surprised that Clockwork hadn't heard Danny enter the room in the first place. And if he had, Clockwork had made no move to address his rude entrance.

The elder ghost turned to Danny, shifting from toddler form to middle-aged form. "Danny." He exclaimed, sounding surprised. The tone was short lived as he resumed his natural monotone as he continued, "What brings you here today?".

Danny tilted his head. "Don't you already know?" He asked.

Clockwork sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I may be the Master of Time, Danny, but it has a few stipulations." He pointed his staff at the screens. "I can see everything that has been, is, and will be, but not all at once." Clockwork lowered his staff and smiled in a teasing way. "I do have other responsibilities besides watching you after all." He finished.

Danny huffed, rolling his eyes at Clockwork. The ghost confused him more and more the longer Danny knew him it seemed. Remembering why he was there in the first place, Danny quickly explained the Skulker story once again. Clockwork listened and once Danny had finished, the Master of Time remained silent.

"So?" Danny asked, "What should I do?". He stared at Clockwork, hope in his eyes that the elder ghost would have an answer.

Clockwork was silent, lost in his own thoughts. He glanced at Danny's right hand and lowered his head. "This is my fault." He sighed. "I pushed the ring on you before you were ready. Not only that but I have neglected to teach you how to control its power." The Time Master floated forward and gently placed his hand on Danny's shoulder. "I shall rectify my wrongdoings now. Let's do some training." He finished, giving Danny a rare smile.

The young halfa was still confused and still seeking answers about Skulker and whether or not his identity as the Prince was in jeopardy, but Clockwork seemed firm in his decision. Danny remained silent and listened to Clockwork's instructions. They spent the next three hours practicing techniques similar to the ones that Frostbite had taught him to control his ice powers. 

When Clockwork was satisfied with Danny's skills, he ended the training. "Well done, Danny." He praised.

A large smile grew on Danny's face as he puffed out his chest with pride. Clockwork chuckled at the teen's antics. Suddenly, a small rumbling sound could be heard. Clockwork looked around the room quickly and his eyes fell upon an embarrassed teen. "Sorry, guess training took a lot more out of me than I thought." He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck.

Clockwork narrowed his red eyes, shifting to his elderly form. That rumbling sound was not one that could be made by a hungry teen. Both ghosts were soon knocked to the ground as the tower succumbed to a powerful tremor. Books were knocked off shelves, viewing screens clanked together, gears fell out of place. The tremor got stronger as Danny and Clockwork found themselves unable to gain their balance. A few seconds later, the tremor stopped. The viewing screens continued to swing and a few more items fell off shelves. The gears stopped clinking together and ran smoothly once more.

Both ghosts rose and Clockwork flew to his viewing screens, checking over every single one to ensure there was not a single crack on any of them. Danny floated over to Clockwork, watching the Time Master's frail form shift from toddler, to middle-aged and back to elderly over and over as he checked the screens. Clockwork was really agitated for him to be changing forms that quickly. "What was that?!" He asked, rubbing his elbow which had landed unceremoniously on when the tremor started. His whole arm felt numb. "I didn't know you could have earthquakes in the Ghost Zone." He added.

"You can't." Clockwork whispered to himself. Danny didn't quite catch what he had said but before the teen could ask Clockwork to repeat himself, the elder ghost floated down to Danny's side, settling in his middle-aged form. "Fright Knight." He spoke, slamming his staff into the ground. A portal opened next to Clockwork and Fright Knight immediately stepped out of it.

The ghost knight immediately noticed Danny cradling his elbow. "My liege!" He half-shouted, rushing to Danny's side, "Are you injured!?". Danny laughed as Fright Knight began to fret over him like a mother to a child. He assured his bodyguard that he was alright and Fright Knight relaxed. 

As Clockwork watched silently he felt a presence approach his tower. "Fright Knight." He exclaimed, looking at the doors leading into his chamber. He flew to them and shut the doors as the ghostly knight turned to Clockwork, keeping Danny behind him. "Take our Prince and make sure he gets out of this tower with the utmost discretion." He ordered without making eye contact. He pointed his staff at another door in the far corner of the room hidden by an old tapestry. 

Without a word of question Fright Knight turned, wrapped his arm around Danny's shoulders and rushed him towards the door. Danny tried to turn back to ask Clockwork what was going on as the Time Master flew about the room, fixing everything that had fallen or moved out of place during the tremor, but Fright Knight sent him a warning look. One that told Danny it was best if he kept silent. The teen closed his mouth and let himself be led away by Fright Knight, though he was quite upset about it. 

Once Fright Knight and Danny had exited through the secret door, Clockwork flicked his staff in the direction of the door. The tapestry covering it fell back into place and he floated back to his position in front of his viewing screens.

Mere seconds later the doors to his chamber flew open and it floated two very angry Observants. "Clockwork!" They shouted in unison. "What is the meaning of this?!" The two Observants floated to the space behind Clockwork, their eyeball heads staring daggers into his back.

"Hello gentlemen, how kind of you to stop by my humble realm." Clockwork answered as his viewing screens flickered to life. He watched in silence as the timeline began to stream across his screens.

The Observants grew irritated. "You know why we are here, Clockwork." One of the Observants began, floating closer to the Time Master. The other Observant tapped his companion on the shoulder, silently warning him not to get too close. They knew the outcome if they were to ever threaten the Time Master. 

The first Observant floated back and his companion started to speak. "We have come to discuss the tremors, Clockwork." He began, his tone peaceful and patient. "They are beginning to spread to multiple realms in the Ghost Zone." The Observants watched as the images on Clockwork's screens became wiggly and morphed into an image of Walker's Prison. They watched as the prison started to shake. Bricks crumbled off the walls, guards became disoriented and prisoners escaped in the chaos as guards attempted to recapture them. "This is not the only realm to have been affected." The Observant said as they continued to watch the destruction of Walker's Prison.

"Action must be taken on this!" The other Observant argued. He floated to Clockwork's side, ignoring the warnings of his companion. He moved in front of the Time Master, blocking his view of the screens. He pointed at Clockwork accusingly as he said, "We need to know the cause behind these tremors and stop it before the entirety of the Ghost Zone is no more than a pile of rubble!".

Clockwork calmly stared into the Observant's eye as he shifted to his elderly form. "Ten seconds." He said, his voice as monotone as ever.

"Excuse me?" The Observant questioned.

"You just wasted ten seconds of my time." Clockwork answered, "Time I could have spent figuring out the answer to your precious question. Time I could have spent looking over the timeline and overseeing it as is my sacred duty.". With every statement, Clockwork's tone grew more and more stern. He floated closer to the Observant getting right in his eyeball face. Clockwork's red eyes narrowed dangerously, "I do hope you remember that you are the one that needs me, not the other way around." A chill washed over the room as the Time Master eyed the Observant who had spoken to him so rudely. "Do not forget your place, Observant." Clockwork finished, the final word like acid on his tongue.

The Observant was frozen with fear. He felt as if Clockwork were to say another word, he would be in fear for his very existence. The Observant nodded and quickly returned to his place behind Clockwork with his companion silently, not daring to retort back to the Time Master.

"These tremors are nothing to be concerned over." Clockwork said after a moment of silence. He waved his staff and the screens now showed Walker's Prison in present time. The prison was being rebuilt and prisoners were being recaptured and re-incarcerated. "As you can see," He began, "everything is as it should be." He turned to face the two Observants, shifting into his toddler form. "The Ghost Zone is strong. It will take more than a few small tremors to make it fall into ruin." The Master of Time assured them.

Silence filled the room. The Observants looked as if they wanted to say more, but after Clockwork's warning they thought it best to keep silent. They accepted Clockwork's answer and said they would report this to the council. They paid their respects and left the room, closing the door behind them. Clockwork didn't move a muscle until he felt their presence disappear from his realm.

Once he was certain they were gone, Clockwork turned back to his viewing screens. He adjusted the time on his staff and tapped on the main screen gently. The screens began to shake gently, knocking against each other until the main screen showed an image of a darkened hall. Clockwork floated towards the screen as the surface began to shimmer and ripple. He passed through the screen with ease and found himself in a darkened hall. With a wave of his staff, the hallway became dimly lit with candlelight. 

The floor was tiled with grey stone which matched the crisp, white walls. A red silk carpet was in the center of the room leading from a pair of tall silver doors to a set of stone steps. Atop the stone steps was an alter shrouded in darkness. A golden chandelier covered in diamonds hung from the ceiling, the diamonds making the candlelight shimmer in them. On the wall opposite to Clockwork hung four paintings, covered by black silk cloths. Under each painting was a different colored door. Clockwork floated forward and turned, staring up another set of four paintings. Three were covered by black silk cloths, but one remained uncovered. It was the painting above the door he just came through. A painting of him.

Clockwork sighed at the sight of it. "Not my best look." He muttered to himself, turning away from the painting. Clockwork floated to the other side of the room, stopping at the covered painting that was across from his. The door beneath the painting was colored a deep purple that almost looked black. Clockwork looked up at the painting, debating on whether or not to remove the cloth. In the end, he decided it would be better for him if he left it covered.

"You know," he began, shifting to his middle-aged form, "I was getting used to spending millenia as the last one of us.". Clockwork turned and surveyed the room, looking at each of the covered portraits and staring at the one of him in disdain. His eyes then fell upon the alter at the end of the room. "I was even used to not having to ever speak to them again." He sighed, twirling his staff in his hands, "Not that I ever enjoyed speaking with them."

Clockwork turned back to the painting above the deep purple door, glaring at the black cloth. "If you plan on coming back, do me a favor and don't." He growled, staring daggers at the painting. "I have enough on my plate right now. I don't need to add you to the mix." He finished, turning away from the painting and floating back to the door he entered the room through. "For once in my life," he whispered as he passed through the door, "let me be wrong."

Normal Line Break here. Hoo boy, we're getting some new lore here. Keep on reading and thanks for stopping by.

At City Hall, Vlad sat at his desk working on some paperwork. His pet cat Maddie curled up on his lap, her gentle purring comforting Vlad. A chill ran down the elder halfa's spine as he continued to do his paperwork. "Well?" He asked, "Did you find what you were looking for?" He looked up and saw the shadowy figure floating in front of his desk.

"No." It replied simply.

Vlad waited for his accomplice to continue, but they made no move to. He chose to speak up instead. "Does this affect our plan at all?" He asked, resting his elbows on the desk and folding his hands under his chin.

The figure shook their head. "No, it merely just puts it on hold for a while." They answered. The figure floated to Vlad's side and asked, "May I visit your library?"

Vlad nodded and the figure left without another word. The elder halfa sighed, sinking into his chair and stroking Maddie, much to her pleasure. "This seems to be a lot of work for something that may not even exist." He muttered, draping an arm across his eyes. "But it's still worth the chance." He said with a smile. 

The sun began to rise on a new day, and many more challenges lie in wait for those involved in the young halfa's accession to the throne.


	7. Happy Birthday pt.1

It was close to early morning when Danny and Fright Knight arrived back at Fenton Works. The two ghosts phased into Danny's room where the halfa transformed back into his human self and plopped onto the bed, exhausted.

"Were you able to learn how to control the ring, my liege?" Fright Knight asked, hovering next to Danny.

The teen smiled and nodded, lifting his right hand to stare at the finger where the ring rested in his Prince form. "It actually was easier than I thought it would have been." He replied, sounding a little cocky. Danny sat up on the bed and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Fright Knight," he began suddenly sounding serious, "why did Clockwork ask us to leave all of a sudden?".

Fright Knight was silent. He turned away from his charge and faced the window. "I must report to Plasmius." He said and phased through the wall. Danny leaped to his feet and ran to the window, looking out into the night sky. Fright Knight had turned himself invisible so Danny couldn't see him or follow him.

The young halfa flopped back onto his bed, defeated. Why did Clockwork chase him out so suddenly? And what was with that tiny earthquake at the tower? Danny sighed; as if his life wasn't already crazy enough. He quickly changed into his pajamas and crawled into bed, thankful that tomorrow was the weekend. He would talk to Fright Knight in the morning and he would order an answer out of him. Wait, could he do that? Danny shook off all thoughts of Fright Knight and Clockwork and fell into a dreamless sleep.

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"And that's why I will never again take my PDA into the shower with me." Tucker said as he took a bite out of his Nasty Burger.

Danny and Sam exchanged a look and sighed in unison, shaking their heads at their friend who was sitting across from them. The three friends had agreed to meet up at Nasty Burger to discuss Danny's birthday which was tomorrow. Though this meet up was originally supposed to be about Danny, Tucker had been talking for the past 20 minutes on why he had destroyed yet another one of his PDA's.

Sam turned to Danny, resting her elbow on the table. "So, what crazy ghost hunting weapon do you parents have planned for your present this year?" She asked.

Danny shrugged. "I honestly have no idea what they're doing this year. They've been pretty tight lipped for some reason." He answered. Usually his parents were wild when it came to his birthday but this year they seemed really relaxed. Danny couldn't help but chuckle when he thought of how crazy his life had gotten in such a short amount of time.

The young halfa felt a chill run up his spine as a blue mist escaped from his lips. "It is just me, my liege." Fright Knight's voice whispered. All three teens jumped at the sudden voice.

"Do you have to deal with that all the time?" Tucker whispered, looking around to try and figure out where Fright Knight's voice was coming from.

Danny smiled and nodded. Actually, he was really thankful that Fright Knight had shown up. When Danny woke up in the morning, his bodyguard still hadn't returned. Whether it was because of Vlad or he was just trying to avoid Danny the teen didn't know. But now that he was here, Danny could finally ask him about Clockwork.

Just as Danny was about to open his mouth, Fright Knight spoke instead. "I apologize for interrupting you, my liege, but our presence has been requested at the castle. Immediately" The ghostly knight explained. 

There was a slight sense of urgency in Fright Knight's voice that Danny had never heard before. The teen looked to his friends who shared a concerned expression. 

Sam stood up from her seat, an excited smile on her face. "Well, then let's get going!" She said happily, but also quietly; they were in a restaurant after all.

"No," Fright Knight replied instantly, "I am afraid you cannot come with us.". The three teens looked at where they assumed Fright Knight was. "Humans are not generally allowed in the Ghost Zone. Especially with the current situation. It was purely luck that you two were able to enter without issue in the past." Fright Knight explained. Danny felt a hand rest on his shoulder. "Hopefully in the future, our new Prince will be able to change this rule.".

Danny smiled and sighed, offering an apologetic smile to his friends. Without a word, they understood and waved Danny off. The young halfa ran out of the restaurant to the back of the building. "I'm going ghost!" He shouted as two white rings washed over his body, transforming him into his alter ego. Fright Knight dropped his invisibility and the two ghosts flew in the direction of Fenton Works.

littlest line break is here providing a necessary cuteness break! i made everyone some cookies! i hope you like them! enjoy the rest of the chapter!

Danny and Fright Knight arrived at the newly dubbed Phantom's Keep and were immediately shown in. Before that though, Fright Knight had instructed Danny to transform into his prince form. When Danny asked why Fright Knight had just replied, "I think it'll suit the occasion.". Danny didn't know how to respond to that so he just did as he was told.

The butler ghost Danny had met when he had first arrived at the castle met them in the entry hall. He bowed to Danny, "Welcome back sire. I apologize for the state of your castle." He said.

At first Danny was confused by the butler's words, but he noticed something in the corner of his eye. Some of the suits of armor lining the walls were on the ground in piles or crushed by large pieces of stone that had fallen from the ceiling. Some tapestries had tears in them and bits of rubble littered the ground. "What happened?" Danny asked, looking around the room.

The butler straightened his suit and stood out of Danny's way, gesturing to the door at the end of the hall. "I unfortunately cannot answer any of your questions at the moment sire. The Time Master is awaiting you in the throne room." He said, giving Danny a small bow.

Danny opened his mouth to ask again but he was quickly led to the doors by Fright Knight. The two ghosts entered the grand foyer where Danny noticed the continued pattern of destruction. The castle staff seemed to be working extra hard to fix the damages but Danny didn't see much of it as his bodyguard continued to lead him quickly through the room, up the grand staircase at the end of the room and through the large doors leading to the throne room. 

Once they passed through the doors, they instantly noticed Clockwork talking to another member of the castle staff, a maid judging by her uniform. The destruction in the throne room seemed to worse than any other part of the castle Danny had seen and multiple ghosts were working to clean up the damage and fix what they could. Parts of the ceiling had fallen, causing major damage to the floor. Torches that lined the wall had either fallen off or were completely destroyed. The stone steps leading up to the throne were crumbling and looked more like a pile of rocks than stairs. The only thing left perfectly unharmed was the throne itself.

Danny flew over to Clockwork and the maid with Fright Knight close behind. The maid noticed Danny approaching them and she bowed. The young halfa ignored the bow and focused on Clockwork. "What happened to the castle?!" Danny asked, sounding concerned. He wondered why he felt so distressed about the castle being destroyed, it's not like he even wanted it to begin with.

Clockwork shifted to his middle-aged form as he turned to Danny. "That is what I was just about to find out." He answered, tilting his head toward the maid who was still bowing.

Danny felt his cheeks burn and he quickly apologized. "You really don't have to bow to me." Danny said. "I'm not even the prince yet.".

The maid rose and smiled at Danny. She had black hair that was tied back in a bun, sparkling green eyes and light blue skin, with a small mole above the right side of her lip. She wore along black dress with long sleeves and a white collar. A pressed white apron was worn overtop and frills line the bottom and arms of the apron. A small maid's cap was on her head and she held a feather duster in her hand. "Understood sire." She answered. Danny was surprised to hear she had a French accent. The maid turned back to Clockwork. "Like I said before, the castle has been suffering from small tremors." She said.

"And when did the first tremor happen?" Clockwork asked her.

The maid placed a hand on her chin, looking to the ceiling. "I would say... about three days ago." She replied.

Clockwork's eyes widened. Three days ago? The Time Master's eyes wandered until he was looking at Danny. He had given Danny the Ring of Rage nearly three days ago. Clockwork silently hoped it was just a coincidence, but he had been around long enough to know that there was no such thing as coincidences. "He's coming." Clockwork whispered.

As Clockwork finished his sentence, another tremor struck the castle. It was a small one and lasted less than a second, but it was enough to make some ghosts in the room lose their balance, with a few even falling to the ground.

"Hey, isn't this like the quake that happened at your tower?" Danny asked Clockwork. The Time Master offered no response. Just as Danny was about to ask again, another tremor struck. 

This one was far stronger. All the ghosts in the room lost their balance, even those in the air, and fell to the ground. Danny stumbled around trying to keep his balance, when he saw a crack form in the ceiling and center around a weakened part of the ceiling above them. It came loose and started to fall towards the four ghosts.

"My liege!" Fright Knight shouted as he grabbed Danny under his arm and flew away from the falling piece of ceiling. The ghostly knight drew his sword and sliced up smaller pieces of debris that were falling towards them. When the tremor finally stopped, Fright Knight released Danny. He apologized for the rough handling and asked Danny if he was injured which he was not, much to Fright Knight's relief. Danny looked to the other side of the room and saw that Clockwork had gotten the maid out of danger. 

"Is anyone hurt?!" One of the butlers in the room shouted.

"Over here!" Shouted another servant in reply. It was a footman and he was holding a small green-skinned girl with braided blonde hair in a maid's uniform who had a large gash on her leg and forehead. 

"Talia!" Screamed the maid Clockwork had helped. She flew to the girl's, Talia's, side. She took the girl from the footman and cradled her in her arms. 

Danny flew over to the maid and knelt by her side. "Is there a hospital wing?" He asked. The maid looked at Danny with tears in her eyes and nodded. "Let's get her there then." He said with a smile. Fright Knight took Talia from the maid's arms and followed Danny and the maid out of the room.

As the other members of the staff were checked for injuries, the doors to the throne room flew open and three angry Observants flowed in. "What is the meaning of this?!" The Observant leading the others shouted, gesturing to the destroyed room.

"Just a small accident, nothing to be concerned over." Answered Clockwork, floating over to the Observants as he shifted to his elderly form. Perfect, just perfect. The Observants were the last thing he needed to deal with right now.

This seemed to anger the Observants more. Just as they were about to shout something else at Clockwork, Danny and Fright Knight returned.

"Talia's gonna be ok." Danny said cheerfully as he entered the throne room, Fright Knight shadowing him. "But Nina is going to stay with her for a bit so I said she could take a break as long as she need to." He finished as he noticed the Observants in the room. The teen halfa froze in his tracks and looked to Clockwork.

One of the Observants narrowed it's giant eye at Danny and noticed the Ring of Rage on his finger. The large eye widened immediately and he turned to Clockwork furious. "You gave the boy the ring!?" The Observant shouted. The two other Observants turned around and gazed at Danny's altered appearance and the presence of the ring on his right hand.

"Yes." Clockwork answered simply, adjusting the time on his staff. He seemed to be only half-listening to whatever the Observants were saying.

The Observant in front approached Clockwork. He started, "How could you do something like this without alerting the coun-"

"The boy is my responsibility is he not?" Clockwork interrupted, glaring at the Observant. He floated closer to the ghost which caused the slender ghost to back up a bit. "Whatever I choose to do with him or give him is my choice and the council has no right to interfere." Clockwork said coldly. "I thought him ready to wear the ring, so I gave it to him. End of story." As Clockwork finished, the Observants seemed to shrink away from his gaze.

Danny felt relieved that Clockwork wasn't in trouble because of him but he couldn't help but glance at the ring. Was him having it such a major issue?

The lead Observant cleared their throat. "Well, that's good and all." His large eyeball scanned the room, squinting at some of the major damages. "The coronation will continue as planned. No objections." He said firmly. The other Observants nodded in agreement and Clockwork lowered his head slightly to show that he acknowledged this fact.

After the Observants and Clockwork conversed a little more in private, the Observants left. Clockwork floated over to Danny and Fright Knight, with his attention on the bodyguard. "From today onward you are not to leave the young prince's side. This is an order." Clockwork said firmly.

Fright Knight nodded, placing a hand on his sword. "I will have to explain my extended absence to Plasmius." He explained.

"That is understandable." Clockwork replied. The Time Master then looked to Danny. "Are you alright?" He asked, his tone gentle and slightly concerned. Danny flashed him a smile and nodded. Clockwork smiled gently, "Good. Now, you best be off now. You have a big day tomorrow after all." Clockwork finished with a wink. Danny smiled once more and waved goodbye to everyone before he and Fright Knight flew out of the throne room.

Clockwork sighed as he shifted to his toddler form. "Of all times for me to be right," he muttered clasping his hands behind his back as he floated slowly out of the throne room, "It had to be about him,".

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"A leave of absence?" Vlad questioned, stroking his chin. 

"Yes, I cannot reveal the direct means of my absence as my associates prefer to remain nameless but I must inform you that I will be out of your service for an extended period of time," Fright Knight said formally, bowing to his master.

Vlad sighed, folding his hands over his mouth. "It is allowed."

Fright Knight rose, nodding at Vlad before flying upwards and phasing through the ceiling. He started flying back to Fenton Works, the only thing on his mind was to protect his soon-to-be King.

Vlad lowered his hands to reveal a devilish grin. He relished in this confirmation as his partner revealed themself from the shadows. "I believe this does confirm your suspicions Plasmius," the mysterious figure said monotonously.

"Not entirely, but it is enough," Vlad replied, spinning around in his chair. He stared out his large window up at the moon high above. It shone down on him as his eyes reflected scarlet in the silvery beams. "It seems a little Phantom is to be the new King."

Meanwhile, at Fenton Works...

Danny rested on his bed, bored out of his mind. His powers were itching to emerge so he could go out on patrol but Fright Knight and Clockwork had both been very stern that he was not to go anywhere without Fright Knight near him. The halfa knew there was something that they weren't telling him but frankly, he doubted that if he asked he would get a straight answer; if any answer at all.

As Danny sighed and closed his eyes, a chill ran up his spine and his inner core began to pulse painfully. He sat up with a start, clutching his chest and letting out heavy breaths. Ice coursed through his veins and invaded in mind, pounding his head and causing a large migraine to start. His right ring finger began to burn and felt like it was being sawed off. Danny bit his tongue to keep from screaming and a copper taste assaulted his mouth.

"Oh dear, does that ever look painful," a voice whispered from beside Danny.

Despite his pained state, the teen slowly turning his head to see a ghost hidden beneath a black cloak. He knew he should activate his powers but at this point he could barely focus on getting air into his lungs. Danny's head started to feel light and his vision was fading.

"Now now, we can't have that. I went through a lot of trouble to get here and talk to you. I won't have you pass out on me just yet," the ghost added quickly. His hand began to glow with shimmering violet energy and he placed his hand on Danny's chest. At once, Danny's condition improved. Air rushed into his lungs as the ice in his veins melted. "I see my arrival has caused quite the strenuous effect on your body. Though this was possible," the ghost mused to himself, removing his hand from Danny's body.

"Who... are... you," Danny managed to utter as his body began to recuperate. He tried to summon forth his ghost form, but found the effort useless. 'What would even be the point?' he thought to himself, 'I can't even move right now, much less fight him.' Instead he started praying that 

Even though Danny could not see the ghost's face beneath the cloak's hood, he could tell the ghost was smiling. "I am, what you could call, an adviser," he started, crossing one of his arms across his torso and bowing. "I was the former Ghost King's most trusted adviser. I served him loyally throughout his rein and have returned to serve the new King."

Danny was immediately in defense mode. His muscles tensed and he urged his powers to come forward. He felt his core pulse in response, yet still no rings.

"No need to be frightened young Prince, I am here to show my loyalty to the crown once more," the ghost continued. He gently grabbed Danny's right wrist and lifted it to reveal the Ring of Rage. "I see the Time Master has given you the ring, this is promising."

Danny's eyes widened. Why was the ring showing itself in his human form?

The ghost noticed this and let go of Danny's wrist, letting it fall back to the bed and flop around like a dead fish. "You have questions, I can see," the ghost observed, removing his hood. He had a wrinkled grey face and long, oily black hair. His eyes burned red and a scar ran down his right eye. "I am Vizier, your loyal servant."

Vizier's eyes darted to the window and quickly back to Danny. "If you want to discover the true power of the ring, call for me. I will be at your side and guide you, my Prince," Vizier finished, bowing quickly before disappearing in a ripple of grey smoke.

Mere seconds after Vizier vanished, Fright Knight flew in through the window. His eyes immediately went to his young Prince and widened with panic. He floated to Danny's side, frantically looking at the boy from head to toe. "My Prince! What has happened to you? You look like you are in pain!" Fright Knight exclaimed.

The ghostly knight helped Danny sit up as the teen felt his powers finally return. He created a small orb of ecto-energy in his palm and stared into it deeply, letting the power reflect in his eyes. "Fright Knight," he began, "have you ever heard of a ghost called, Vizier?"


	8. Happy Birthday pt.2

Danny stared silently at Clockwork's weakened formed as he took in the information he and Fright Knight had shared with him. The halfa looked up at the ghost knight in question and Fright Knight simply shook his head. 

Flashback

"Fright Knight, have you ever heard of a ghost called, Vizier?" Danny asked. 

As soon as the teen uttered the name Fright Knight turned whiter than a sheet. He seemed to tremble at the mere mention of the name and his hand went to his sword as he used his other hand to grip Danny's shoulder. "How do you know that name," Fright Knight hissed.

Danny has never seen the ghostly knight so serious, not even when they had been enemies. "He was just here and introduced himself to me as an old adviser of Pariah Dark," the teen admitted honestly.

Fright Knight's head whipped back and forth and his eyes landed on the clock next to Danny's bed. "It is late, you must rest now. In the morning I will take you to see the Time Master. He will explain everything," Fright Knight said, releasing Danny's shoulder. He floated to a corner of the room and drew his sword, as if waiting for an attack.

"But-" Danny started to protest.

"Sleep my liege. When morning comes, you will know everything," Fright Knight interrupted. 

Without another word Danny closed his eyes and tossed and turned about in his bed, falling in and out of sleep. Fright Knight never moved from his spot in the room. 

End Flashback

And now here they were, in Clockwork's Tower with the Time Master sunk into a sofa in his library processing all that he had just been informed. Danny was a little surprised that Clockwork wasn't already aware of this since apparently the all-knowing ghost had been keeping a close eye on Danny's timeline.

"Time Master, I cannot apologize enough for my error," Fright Knight said suddenly, falling to his knees in repentance. "I am to guard our Prince with my life, yet I was not there to protect him at this time."

The silence that followed was deafening. Clockwork finally stirred and rose from the sofa. "No, this is all my fault," he said sadly. Fright Knight and Danny looked to Clockwork in surprise. "I should have known the risks of trying to reinstate the monarchy and taken more precautions. I have grown cocky in my years," Clockwork sighed, floating silently out of the library and in the direction of his chambers.

"The ghost you met last night, Vizier, is in a sense 'my other half'," Clockwork continued as Fright Knight and Danny followed after him. "To tell you the whole story behind my words would take far longer than any time we have at this moment in our paths, so I will be brief."

The three entered Clockwork's chamber where the Time Master floated over to his viewing screens and an image of Vizier flashed upon them. Clockwork's appearance changed to that of his older self and for the first time ever, Danny noticed Clockwork's eyes look tired. "Vizier is known as the Elder Guardian of Space whereas I, his counterpart, am the Elder Guardian of Time," Clockwork began, "Many years ago he committed a great sin and was imprisoned in Darsphage, a prison dimension of sorts for powerful spirits. Though it could not contain him forever it seems."

Clockwork floated over to Danny and lifted the teen's hand that housed the Ring of Rage. "Due to his connection to this ring, he used it as a beacon to ripple space in order to escape his prison. That is the cause of all the tremors lately," Clockwork explained.

Danny felt like his head was spinning in circles. "Wait, so this Vizier guy escaped a prison dimension pretty much designed for ghosts or spirits like him all because of the ring?" He tried to summarize which caused him to receive a nod from Clockwork. "Then let's just get rid of it!" The teen added. Danny glanced down at the ring on his finger and attempted to pull it off, but it didn't budge an inch.

"Unfortunately, you cannot remove the ring," Fright Knight said as he watched his young sire started to use his teeth to try and pry the ring off. "It is bonded to you until your coronation as a protective measure."

Danny spat out the disgusting taste of metal and looked frantically at the ghostly knight. "Then let's just have the coronation now, get rid of the ring and send Vizier back to his prison!" He cried out, slightly proud of himself for thinking of such a good plan.

"That cannot be done either," Clockwork added as he shifted to his toddler form. 

Danny bit down on his tongue to prevent himself from cursing. "And why is that?" Danny asked, trying his best to not sound exasperated.

"In order for you to be properly recognized as the Ghost Zone's new ruler we need to hold a proper ceremony in your castle, which is currently in shambles, and the Crown of Fire, which is in the possession of the Observant Council; despite my protests," Clockwork explained, fiddling with his staff all the while.

Danny groaned. This was probably the worst day of his life. "So what are we supposed to do now?" He asked. "I can't take off the ring, I can't be crowned in order for me to take off the ring, am I just supposed to wait until Vizier shows up again and steals my soul or something?!"

"Vizier does not have the ability to steal souls," Clockwork said, shaking his head, "that is utterly ridiculous."

"Not the point, Clockwork," Danny growled.

The Time Master sighed, "Until I can figure out a way to recapture Vizier, Fright Knight is to increase his time spent guarding you. He will never leave your side even if it means revealing himself and, by consequence, revealing your status as the Prince-In-Waiting." Clockwork then turned away from the pair and placed a hand on the scar on his face. "We cannot let the past repeat itself," he whispered.

With a slam of his staff on the floor, a portal appeared. "Go now, I have other business to attend to," Clockwork demanded.

Danny opened his mouth to say more but closed it after Fright Knight's gloved hand gripped his shoulder gently and shook his head. The teen decided to drop it for now but swore he wouldn't let Clockwork off the hook so easily next time as he and Fright Knight disappeared through the portal.

As the portal faded Clockwork shifted to his elderly form and sank down on the couch in his library, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Seems like you've been quite busy these days," a voice cooed from the shadows.

The Time Master sighed, "And I bet you're enjoying watching me suffer."

"Well, I'd be lying if I said it didn't please me a little bit," the voice shadow replied, emerging from its hiding place and coming to stand in front of Clockwork.

"So, what brings you here, Nocturne?" Clockwork questioned, rising from his seat.

The horned ghost smiled, his starry body shimmering every so elegantly. "I thought you'd never ask."


	9. Happy Birthday Pt.3

The portal Clockwork had created dropped Danny and Fright Knight outside of Fenton Works, where it was early morning. Danny let out a long yawn, causing his eyes to tear up; he hadn't realized he'd been out all night. "I don't even think I could get a cat nap in now," he muttered.

"But you do not own a cat, my liege," Fright Knight added, tilting his head in confusion.

Danny chuckled, "It's just an expression, Fright. I was just trying to say that I'm gonna be really tired today." He ran a gloved hand through his white hair, "Thankfully, today is Sunday so I don't have to worry about Lancer smacking me over the head with Lord of the Flies."

"Why would the scholar Lancer hit you with a Lord of Flies? That would seem highly improbable," Fright Knight wondered aloud. "Do you wish for me to slay this Lord and his scholar?" the ghostly knight quickly added, drawing his sword.

Danny suddenly felt even more tired. "No thanks, bud. I think he's the least of our problems right now."

"As always, you are correct my liege," Fright Knight said proudly as he sheathed his sword. "Today is your Life Day after all."

Shaking his head a little, Danny turned to Fright Knight, asking, "Life Day?"

The bodyguard nodded, "The day you were granted life in this realm."

Danny's eyes widened. It was his birthday! "Oh crap!" he cried out, flying at full speed to his bedroom, ignoring Fright Knight's yelling at him to wait. Just as the young halfa phased through his bedroom window and the glowing white rings appeared around his waist to transform him back to his human form, his parents crashed through the door.

"Happy Birthday, Danny!" Maddie and Jack sang in unison. Maddie held a plate of fresh waffles in her hands while Jack held up a small banner reading 'Happy 15th Birthday Danny!'.

"I can't believe my baby boy is already fifteen," Maddie said, a giant smile on her face as she approached Danny with the plate of waffles and placed it on his bed. She kissed his cheek and ruffled his midnight black hair before moving out the way so Jack could give him a bear hug.

"Happy Birthday, son," Jack said happily in his booming voice. "Hurry and get ready, we have a busy day ahead of us." With that, the two ghost hunters left the room, leaving their teenage son more than confused.

Danny rubbed his eyes, yawning again. "And I thought Vizier was going to be my biggest problem today," he chuckled. He quickly got dressed and headed downstairs.

I am the Posh Line Break here to give you the gift of fashion. I do hope you will accept this ballgown, darling. I made it with your image in mind ;) (no matter if you are male or female or neither). Now, I shall let you resume reading the story.

In a local park Danny sat on a bench, drinking a slushie drink with an invisible Fright Knight. Danny was a little more than shocked when he had felt a tap on his shoulder as he went to buy the slushie and heard the bodyguard's request to try one.

"This chilled beverage is surprisingly delicious!" Fright Knight exclaimed happily.

Danny had to stifle a laugh. He had never seen (or in this case, heard) this side of the ghost knight before; normally he was very stoic and serious. To learn that he had an almost child-like side was a little weird but it was nice. The teen was glad that they had been able to put aside their differences and become allies. He dared think that they were becoming friends.

"Hey, Danny!" a familiar voice called out. Danny turned his attention away from Fright Knight to see Sam and Tucker walking up to him with their own slushies. "Sorry we're late man," Tucker apologized, plopping next to Danny on the bench.

"We would have been on time but Tucker spent almost twenty minutes picking out a tiny sweater for his PDA," Sam complained, taking up the other spot on the bench next to Danny.

In response, Tucker pulled out his beloved device which was wrapped up in a tiny yellow sweater. "Excuse me for wanting to make sure I don't destroy yet another PDA. I'm already at risk for being ground for the rest of my life with my folks for breaking the last one."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Anyway, what's with the sudden meet-up, Danny? And why the park?" she asked.

The halfa explained that after a quick breakfast his parents essentially kicked him out of the house and told him to come back by dinner. "And as much as I enjoy Fright Knight's company, I felt that I could use some human interaction for a bit," he finished with a laugh.

"Fright Knight's here?" Sam asked, looking around.

Danny nodded. "Behind us, drinking a slushie." Saying this caused him to receive odd looks from his friends. "He wanted to try one. Who am I to say no?" The teen defended.

"The next ruler of the Ghost Zone," Tucker reminded him.

Danny sighed, taking a sip from his slushie. "Yeah, thanks for reminding me," he huffed, "I'm still trying to figure out a way out of that. Turns out this whole Prince thing is causing more harm then good." He caught them up to speed on the 'earthquakes' happening all over the Ghost Zone, Vizier and his apparent connection to the Ring of Rage, and the upcoming coronation. 

Sam and Tucker took a long time to take in what Danny had just told them; so long that their slushies had lost their slush and were now just flavored juice. "Wow man, that sounds rough," Tucker attempted to comfort.

"Rough doesn't even begin to cover it," Danny replied sadly. He sighed and felt a rough hand gently grip his shoulder. From the corner of his eye he could see no hand, so he knew it was Fright Knight attempting to comfort him.

"My liege, it pains me to see you at such a crossroads. But know this, no matter your decision in this matter, I shall proudly stand by your side as your knight," Fright Knight said in a hushed voice as not to draw attention to himself despite being invisible.

Danny smiled, feeling a little better knowing that one ghost wouldn't force him to take the throne. "Thanks, FK," he exhaled.

Sam quickly stood up, removing the lid from her melted slushie and downing it in one gulp. "Enough with the sad talk!" she exclaimed, holding her empty cup to the sky, "For now, we party!" 

A grin appeared on Tucker's face and he grabbed Danny's wrist. "For once, I agree with Sam," he chuckled, pulling Danny to his feet. The three friends started walking back to Fenton Works with a still invisible Fright Knight trailing close behind, happily finishing off his slushie.

IT IS I! THE GREAT AND POWERFUL LINE BREAK! YOU MAY LEAVE YOUR OFFERINGS AND PRAISE HERE AS YOU CONTINUE TO READ THE CHAPTER!

As Danny opened the door to Fenton Works he was immediately greeted with party poppers and a group of people shouting "Surprise!" at him. After the initial shock, Danny glanced around to see the living room decorated with streamers and balloons where his Mom, Dad, Jazz, Valerie and her dad were all standing with party poppers. Sam and Tucker giggled behind him.

Valerie rushed up to Danny's side, grabbing his wrist and pulling him inside. "C'mon Birthday Boy, you just gonna stand there with your mouth open all night or are we gonna party?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at the teen.

Danny laughed and immediately forgot about everything he had been worrying about all day. His mom showered him with kisses and his dad gave him such a strong hug that Danny wondered if his spine was permanently re-arranged. He shook Valerie's dad's hand as the lights suddenly dimmed.

Maddie walked into the room carrying a rocket-shaped cake with seventeen burning candles on it as everyone began singing Happy Birthday. Danny thought of a wish and blew out his candles with everyone cheering. After everyone got a slice (including Fright Knight who had sneaked one when no one else was looking), presents started piling onto the coffee table. 

Danny received a Dumpty Humpty shirt and their newest album from Valerie, a book on space from Jazz, and an envelope from Sam. He had been instructed not to open it until later or risk a severe shin-kicking courtesy of her combat boots. Tucker had disappeared shortly before the presents starting being opened, insisting his gift 'had to be saved for last'.

Now was the gift Danny was secretly dreading the most. The one from his parents. Every year without fail, they would give him some device related to ghost-hunting. It had gotten so intense that the gift they gave him for his last birthday nearly made it his last.

Maddie and Jack held a medium-sized box and placed it in front of Danny. "Sweetie, your father and I put a lot of thought into your gift this year," Maddie said with a smile, "we hope you like it." Danny gave them a sincere smile in return as he carefully opened the box.

"Uh, Fenton? Can you hurry it up a little. It's not like you're defusing a bomb," Valerie chuckled.

Danny laughed in response while thinking "Where my parents are involved, it just might turn into that."

The young halfa finally opened the box and slowly peered inside. The contents weren't glowing, that was a good sign, so he dared to get closer and fully looked inside the box. His eyes widened in surprise. Inside the box rested a model rocket kit. He looked up at his parents in surprise. "I... I love it! Thank you so much!" he shouted, jumping to his feet and hugging his parents. He felt his parents let out a breath that they apparently had been holding as they hugged him back.

As they broke apart from the hug, the doorbell rang. Jazz got up to answer the door and returned with Tucker, holding something behind his back. "Alright, it's time for Tucker to blow all of your gifts out of the water," he said rather smugly. He removed his hands from behind his back and handed Danny a tiny wrapped box.

The halfa unwrapped the gift, raising an eyebrow to his best friend. To his surprise and confusion, inside the box was a tiny black and white collar. "Uh, thanks man," Danny said, holding it up, "Just what I wanted?"

Tucker nodded. "Now, if you would all just follow me," he began, walking past the confused party-goers and heading to the kitchen. He grabbed another slice of cake (that had been severely depleted courtesy of one invisible knight with an apparent sweet tooth) as he headed to the backyard with everyone trailing behind him. Danny looked over at Sam to see if she knew what was going on but received nothing but a similarly confused look.

As they reached the back door, Tucker turned to Danny. "I now present to you, the best gift you will ever receive," he declared, throwing open the door and leading everyone outside. They were immediately greeted by the yapping of a beagle puppy. It had brown ears and brown fur around its eyes with white fur on its snout. Black fur ran down its back with a stripe of brown fur across his neck and just before its tail which was black with a white tip. Its chest and underbelly were white with white paws excluding one brown paw.

"Oh my gosh!" Danny cried out, as the puppy ran to his feet. The teen quickly scooped up the tiny puppy which quickly started licking his cheek. "Tucker, you didn't," he said, turning to his friend while the puppy snuggled into his embrace.

"Oh yes I did," he replied with a grin. He gestured behind him where puppy food, a dog house, leash and food and water dishes were strewn neatly. "I already asked your parents, and they said it was OK. Sam and Jazz helped pay for all this," he explained, crossing his arms and looking rather proud of himself.

Danny scratched the little puppy behind his floppy ears before letting him down to run around and sniff all the people curiously. He walked up to Tucker and gave him a hug before hugging Sam and Jazz. "Thank you guys, so much," he said, choking back tears.

"So, what are you gonna name him?" Valerie asked as she knelt down to pet the excited beagle puppy. She waved her hand in front of his face and he yapped happily, trying to playfully attack and pin it down.

Danny looked down at the puppy and was reminded in a way of the ghost dog he had dealt with when he first got close to Valerie. He had named that dog Cujo. Danny tilted his head thoughtfully. "How about, CJ?" he said. The puppy turned its head to Danny and hopped over to his feet, jumping onto his leg and yapping happily.

Sam chuckled, "Looks like he likes it," she commented.

Danny scooped up the puppy. "Yeah, you like that name, don't you CJ?" he asked in a baby voice. The puppy yapped again and licked Danny's nose and cheeks, causing the teen to laugh.

After everyone played with the puppy for a bit longer, it was time for the party to end. Danny thanked everyone for coming and said goodbye to his friends. He thanked his parents and Jazz for throwing him such an amazing party and offered to help take down the decoration but his parents shooed him off to bed, insisting that they would take care of it as he had surely had a long day. CJ followed Danny upstairs to his bedroom, or at least attempted to; his little puppy legs were too small for the stairs so Danny just carried him up.

As Danny entered his room, he was greeted by Fright Knight sitting on his bed. "I do hope you enjoyed your birthday party, my liege," the bodyguard said cheerfully, his green eyes squinted in joy. Danny nodded, laughing as he pointed out some icing stuck on the ghost knight's helmet

CJ hopped over to Fright Knight and started yapping at his feet and growling softly until he petted the little beagle's head. CJ then seemed to decide that Fright Knight was not a bad person and started yapping for more pets.

Fright Knight stood, picking up the beagle and placing him gently on Danny's bed. "Before you retire for the evening, as it is still your birthday, I myself have a present for you," Fright Knight said, grabbing a small box off the bed that CJ had started playing with. He looked down at the box and then to Danny. "When I was just a young ghost, I was told that one day I would come to serve the greatest leader the Ghost Zone would ever have," the ghost knight started, "I used to think that was Pariah Dark, but I now see that I was wrong. Now, I have no doubts."

Fright Knight took a step closer to Danny, kneeling before him. "I understand you are hesitant to take the throne and I by no means am trying to pressure you to accept this," he quickly assured, "As I said before, I shall stand by you no matter your choice. Yet still, I was told that when I feel the time is right, to give this to the being I felt would be the one to save the Ghost Zone from ruin." He lowered his head as he presented the box to Danny.

Blushing from embarrassment, Danny took the box. He opened it and had to quickly close his eyes to prevent from being blinded by the bright light emitting from the box. Once the light had died down, Danny looked at what was in the box. It was a small, smooth, round, white crystal that shimmered with light. It was connected to a sliver chain and in the center of the crystal had his symbol in a black vein looking design. He was in awe of the gift, mesmerized by its beauty.

"Fright Knight, thank you so much," he said, closing the box and looking down at the still kneeling ghost, "but what is it?"

Fright Knight rose and patted the teen's shoulder. "I believe as the Time Master would say, 'All will be revealed in time'," he said with a laugh. Before Danny could press the question, Fright Knight bid him goodnight and disappeared to do a search of the perimeter.

The young halfa felt like even if he waited for Fright Knight to come back he wouldn't get any answers to his questions. The teen sighed, ruffling his hair and changing into his pajamas. He climbed into bed, giving CJ another scratching behind his ears and snuggling close to the warm puppy.

As Danny finally closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep with CJ curling up next to his chest, a glow emitted from his right hand as the Ring of Rage materialized on his finger, shining its menacing light upon the unaware teen's face.


	10. Crickets of Conscience

Danny woke up to something wet and cold all over his face paired with the beeping of his alarm clock. As he slowly opened his eyes he found himself staring straight into the mouth of one hyper beagle puppy. "Mmm, morning CJ," he mumbled, scratching the puppy behind his ears.

CJ yapped in response and licked Danny's face again before leaping off his bed and clawing at the door. Danny yawned, getting out of bed and opened the door for CJ to run downstairs. Tucker had taken the liberty of house-training CJ so he didn't have to worry about waking up with suspiciously wet sheets. He quickly ran downstairs to let CJ out into the backyard to do his business before sitting down at the table for breakfast.

"Morning, sweetie," Maddie called over her shoulder as she fried eggs. Jazz walked into the kitchen shortly after Danny, already fully dressed and her nose stuffed in a new book. She ruffled her brother's hair before sitting next to him at the table. CJ came running into the kitchen and to his food dish, greedily eating up his breakfast.

Suddenly, the house shook as an explosion sounded from the lab. The door to the lab swung open as Jack emerged covered in green goop and black smoke. "Well," Jack said with a cough, "I suppose that now is a good time to stop for breakfast."

Maddie sighed at her husband as she served breakfast to her family. Danny was about to dig into his eggs when he felt an icy hand on his shoulder. The teen whipped around, holding his fork out like a sword only to see nor sense anything behind him.

"Danny, you OK?" Jazz asked, waving her hand in front of Danny's face.

The young halfa blinked a few times before sitting properly in his seat. "Yeah," he said quietly. "I feel just fine."

Hey it's Normal Line Break making my required appearance in this story so I can get 'paid'. I say it lightly as Phantom pays us in peanuts. Actually... peanuts is being too generous of a description... Hmm... Come back to me later and I'll think of something crueler to say about Phantom. Until then, enjoy the chapter.

"...ton? MR. FENTON!"

Danny jolted upright in his seat so fast that he toppled backwards onto the floor and crashed his head against the tiles. As his vision swam before him he saw a bright shining light reflect off the top of Mr. Lancer's bald head.

"This is the third time this month, Mr. Fenton, that you have fallen asleep in my class," the teacher scolded. "One more slip up and I will be forced to contact your parents."

"Yes, Mr. Lancer. I'm sorry," Danny apologized as he fixed his chair and sat back down, his cheeks burning red with embarrassment as his fellow peers silently giggled at him. His head began to pound with a headache as the rest of class droned on. When the bell rang, Danny rushed out of the class and his friends quickly caught up to him.

"Danny, are you ok? You've been kinda out of it all day," Sam said, jogging to Danny's side. 

Danny did not respond. He winced as the headache grew stronger, closing his eyes in pain. 

Tucker tapped on his friends shoulder, "Danny if there's something going on, you know you can talk to us."

The young halfa brought his hands up to his ears, trying to block out the noise around him. His head felt like someone was using a jackhammer in his brain. He felt bile in the back of his throat and found it increasingly hard to stay standing. As Danny slumped to his side, nearly taking Sam down with him, he had the unfortunate luck of crashing in everyone's favorite bully, Dash.

"Watch where you're going Fen-toenail before I give you a knuckle sandwich," Dash growled, shoving Danny away from him and onto the ground. Tucker rushed to Danny's aid while Sam confronted Dash, all while Danny's head felt like it was about to split open.

But, in the blink of an eye, the headache stopped. The noise and pounding ceased, leaving the teen in a dazed state. Through the fog of his mind, a voice whispered to him,

"Take your vengeance."

Danny slowly got off the ground, shoving Tucker away from him. His eyes fell on Dash and flashed a dangerous green as he stalked up to the bully. Danny placed a hand on Sam's shoulder, moving her out of the way.

"What now, Fenturd? You asking for a beating?" Dash questioned as he towered over the skinny male.

"No," Danny replied, "but you just did." Before Dash could even process what Danny had just said the smaller teen landed a punch to Dash's gut. The blond doubled over, the wind knocked out of him and Danny took that opportunity to sweep out Dash's legs. As the football player landed on the floor, Danny pinned him down with his knee and landed a punch to Dash's jaw. He was about to punch him again, but a hand stopped him, dragging him off of Dash.

It was Sam's. She was frantically pulling at Danny, trying desperately to separate the two boys before the situation escalated. In the distance, Lancer's voice could be heard so all the students that had gathered to watch the fight quickly dispersed, with Dash's lackeys grabbing him and pulling him away as well. 

Sam didn't let go of Danny's arm until she had successfully gotten him to the back stairwell of the school, with Tucker trailing close behind. "What the hell was that all about, Danny?!" she cried out, her face twisted in confusion.

Danny blinked rapidly, shaking his head. He looked down at his hand which already showed signs of bruising on his knuckle. "I... I don't know," Danny said.

"My liege," a voice said from the shadows. The three teens jumped as Danny's ghost sense went off and Fright Knight faded into visibility. "Pardon my rudeness, but those actions are quite unlike you," the bodyguard commented.

Tucker nodded. "He's got a point Danny. No matter how bad Dash bullied you before you never reacted like that."

Danny started getting annoyed. The pounding in his head had returned and he didn't feel like getting lectured by three people. "I don't know, okay?!" he shouted. "Just leave me alone!" the halfa finished as he stormed off, leaving his two friends and bodyguard in stunned silence.

"What is up with that ghost boy," Sam grumbled, crossing her arms and tapping her foot angrily. The goth then turned her attention to the ghost among them. "Fright Knight, you're his bodyguard right?" she asked, to which Fright Knight replied with a nod. "Then you better keep a good eye on him, because next time I see him my combat boot will be so far up his-"

Sam was interrupted by the ringing of the bell and she grumbled to herself.

"Just, please look out for him," Tucker finished, adjusting his backpack. "You know more about this ghost stuff than we do." With that, the two teens rushed off to their class which they were now late for.

Fright Knight sighed, resuming his invisible state and flying through the school to find his young liege. He had to remember that if he got a chance tonight that he would have to contact Clockwork about the young Prince's odd behavior. Fright Knight recalled his observation of the fight that just before Danny had punched the blond human he could have sworn he saw the Ring of Rage appear on the halfa's finger.


	11. Voices of Doubt

Clockwork paced back and forth in his grand chamber while Nocturne looked on, a smug grin on his features. "As much as I love watching you struggle, Clockwork, I don't think we have much time to spare while you make up your mind," Nocturne cooed.

Clockwork glared at the shimmering ghost, "We have as much time as I say we do," the Time Master hissed, breaking his normally cool composure. Nocturne merely shrugged in response and began whistling to himself.

As Clockwork resumed his pacing, shifting from form to form as he tried to make a decision, the doors to his chambers suddenly slammed open, startling the two ghosts. In the doorway stood a frazzled Fright Knight.

"I apologize for not knocking Time Master," Fright Knight said quickly, rushing to Clockwork's side, "but I fear we are out of time." Fright Knight went on to explain what had happened that day at Casper High and how he thought the young Prince was acting odd and having difficulties controlling his temper and powers. As Clockwork listened patiently, Nocturne had a hard time stifling a chuckle.

Hearing the laughter, Fright Knight whipped his head around and finally noticed the other being in the room. His eyes immediately were ablaze with fury. "TRAITOR!" he screamed, drawing his sword and lunging at Nocturne. 

The starry ghost's laughter halted as his red eyes widened in fear. He dodged Fright Knight's assault, barely missing being struck by the sword. "Hold on a moment!" Nocturne cried out as Fright Knight's attacks grew in intensity. Now it was Clockwork's turn to hold in a laugh. Nocturne noticed and a growled formed in his throat. "Call off your dog, Clockwork! Or so help the Creator, you'll sincerely regret it," the shimmering spirit hissed.

Clockwork sighed, raising his hand to his staff and adjusting the dial. "Time out!" he shouted and both Nocturne and Fright Knight froze in mid-air. Clockwork floated up to Nocturne, pulling the larger ghost out of harms way and then proceeded to take away Fright Knight's blade. "Time in!" he shouted, slamming his hand on the button on the top of his staff.

Fright Knight swung at air and quickly realized his precious sword was missing. His eyes searched the room until he saw his blade in the hands of the Time Master. "I must ask that you calm down Fright Knight. Nocturne is currently my guest," Clockwork advised, tossing the sword back at Fright Knight, who caught it with ease. Fright Knight looked ready to argue, but knew he would just be wasting breath (even though he had none to begin with). He sheathed his sword and settled for just glaring at Nocturne.

Clockwork sighed and turned his back to the two ghosts. "I fear that what happened many millenia ago is happening yet again," the Time Master said in a hushed voice.

Nocturne stopped his teasing of Fright Knight and suddenly became very serious. "I can sense what you are feeling, Clockwork. You fear the boy is to become the next Pariah Dark?" he questioned.

Fright Knight's eyes widened, "You can't be serious!" he cried out, "Sure, the young Phantom is untrained and undisciplined, but I have seen firsthand his bravery and kindness." Fright Knight floated over to Clockwork, standing in front the elder ghost. "You yourself even said that he was the only hope the Ghost Zone had for regaining its former glory."

"That was before Vizier reared his ugly face once more," Clockwork answered somberly.

Nocturne conjured a starry sofa and draped himself on it, sending Clockwork a pitiful look. "Is that any way to talk of your 'other half'?" the horned ghost chuckled.

Clockwork did not respond to Nocturne's jeer and instead activated his viewing screens. "I have made a few conclusions in my research," Clockwork began, turning to Fright Knight, "the 'earthquakes the Ghost Zone has been experiencing recently was because of Vizier's attempt to escape his prison." Clockwork shifted to his elderly form as he began to float absent-mindedly around the room. "Due to his previous connection to the Ring of Rage, I can only assume he was awakened once Pariah returned and ever since has been planning an escape. Now with Danny owning the Ring of Rage, he has a connection to this world and an anchor that is easily targeted."

Fright Knight jumped in on the conversation, "So you think that because of his connection to the ring he is somehow manipulating Danny and attempting to turn him into the next Pariah?"

Clockwork stopped his floating and shifted to his toddler form. He hung his head and sighed. "That is what I fear," he said grimly.

"Which brings us to why I am here," Nocturne interrupted, rising from his couch as it disappeared into starry dust. He floated over to Clockwork's viewing screen and tapped on the glass. "I sensed that something was amiss in the Great Balance so I have returned to reclaim my former title," he said proudly, shooting Fright Knight a knowing smirk.

Fright Knight narrowed his eyes and reached for his sword. Clockwork cleared his throat, drawing the ghostly knight's attention to him; to which Fright Knight sighed and placed his hands behind his back.

"You willingly gave up your position many years ago, why now do you want to reclaim it?" Fright Knight asked, his words as sharp as a dagger.

Nocturne stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Call it, curiosity," he chuckled, "It's true that after the failed attempt to overthrow the Ancients I feared for my own safety and gave up my title and settled for a life as a mere spirit. Tormenting humans, scaring humans, draining energy from humans, it was such fun... until..." Nocturne looked at the screen as an image of Danny Phantom flickered into existence, "he appeared and ruined my fun." Nocturne turned dramatically as his body shimmered. "Ever since then, I have looked for something new to sate my ever-growing curiosity since humans began to bore me and that boy interested me." 

The screen flickered again to show present-day Phantom's Keep. "When I heard that the young Phantom was to be our new ruler, well, needless to say that intrigued me greatly," Nocturne said with a smile. "Why now, of all times, would you choose to reinstate the monarchy?" The horned ghost asked, turning to Clockwork.

Clockwork narrowed his eyes, "It was not my wish to bring back the royal family," he said in a low voice, shifting to his young adult form.

"Ah, but was it not you who first proposed that idea to the Observant High Council?" Nocturne probed.

Fright Knight's eyes widened as he looked to the Time Master. Clockwork had said it was the Observant's idea to bring back the monarchy, and that he only suggested Danny as a potential heir. The ghostly knight watched as Clockwork's cold expression began to crumble. 

"Whether or not I was the one to suggest a new King should be crowned is none of your concern. Our current problem is Vizier," Clockwork said coldly, changing the subject and clearing the viewing screens. He stared at Fright Knight, who immediately stood at attention. "Go see to our young Prince. Do not leave his side under any circumstances, even when I summon you. Vizier is growing bolder," Clockwork ordered, turned back to his viewing screens, "It won't be long until he makes his move and we must be ready for him."

Fright Knight nodded and left without another word, aside from a sideways glance at Nocturne who now hovered menacingly at Clockwork's side.

Once Clockwork had felt Fright Knight's presence disappear from his realm, he adjusted the time on his staff and gently tapped his main viewing screen. The screen began to rock gently into each other as an image of an all too familiar darkened hall appeared on the main viewing screen. Nocturne gasped softly, but quickly regained his composure as the screen began to ripple and shimmer. He and Clockwork floated into the screen and emerged from a door that rested below a hung painting of the Time Master.

"Incredible, your door is much more interesting than mine," Nocturne grumbled. He began floating to the other side of the room, coming to rest at the covered painting directly across from Clockwork's. "Hmm, now which one was mine again? Oh! Of course," the horned ghost mumbled to himself. He turned to face Clockwork before heading towards the back of the room where the final covered painting on the same wall as Clockwork's painting rested. "Always save the best for last," he mused gleefully, reaching up and tearing down the cloth covering the painting. 

With the cloth removed, the painting could be seen in all its glory. It depicted a mighty horned ghost with a body that shimmered of purple, blue and gold that trapped a night sky within it's powerful image. Nocturne stared up at it in awe. "You never truly realize what you have until its gone, eh old friend?" he said to no one in particular. Inhaling slowly, he placed his midnight black hand on the door in front of him, and waited until a click was heard. The room suddenly became engulfed in a bright light and Clockwork had to shield his eyes. When the light had died down, Nocturne had changed. His midnight black body now held splashes of blue, purple and gold, his horns were turned upward and were more curled, and he was at least a foot taller than before.

Clockwork couldn't help but grin as he felt a familiar energy wash over him. "How's that for interesting old friend?" he asked.

Nocturne grinned, a fangless smile. "It is quite interesting," he laughed loudly. "Now, why don't we spar like the old days?" Nocturne finished by charging his hands with golden energy.

Clockwork let a sly grin grace his normally stoic face as he readied his staff, "I thought you'd never ask."

I AM THE ALL MIGHTY LINE BREAK! I RETURN FROM A LONG HIBERNATION AND GRACE YOU WITH MY PRESENCE ONCE MORE! YOU MAY LEAVE YOUR OFFERINGS AND CONTINUE READING THE STORY!

Danny's eyes slowly opened as his alarm buzzed incessantly. CJ yapped as he bounced on his owner's chest and licked the teen's face. Danny scratched the puppy behind his ears before picking him up and setting the beagle beside him as he sat up in bed. The teen rubbed his temples as he stood and walked over to his dresser. 

His headache had gotten so bad that the day before he had to take a day off of school and he didn't even go on patrol the previous night. Thankfully it had been a quiet night and Sam and Tucker were able to handle it by themselves.

It was now Wednesday, only two days before Danny was to be crowned as the future King of the Ghost Zone. Just thinking about that made Danny's headache worsen and his vision became blurry. He pressed his right hand to his forehead and felt something cold in the center of his forehead. The young halfa took his hand away and his eyes widened in shock as he saw the Ring of Rage pulsing with energy on his right ring finger. Danny gasped and ran to his mirror, staring at his reflection. He was in his human form, no HAZMAT suit in sight. He glanced back at his right hand and saw that the Ring of Rage had disappeared.

Danny blinked a couple of times, rubbing his temples. "I really need to get more sleep," he mumbled before quickly getting dressed and running downstairs for breakfast. 

Normal Line Break here. I have nothing salty to say today, Phantom took away my coffee so I'm currently on my death bed. It was nice knowing you all. Oh, and don't forget to read the rest of the chapter.

Judging stares followed Danny throughout the school as he walked from class to class. His eyes unfocused, color drained from his face and dragging his feet as if he were a member of the undead. His two best friends could only look on concerned, as whenever they tried to talk to him they only received grunts in reply. Even Mr. Lancer decided that it would be useless to try scolding Danny today.

As Danny left his English class along with his friends, his ghost sense went off but he barely paid any attention to it. It was probably just Fright Knight letting the halfa know he was nearby. Unfortunately, the small distraction that his ghost sense did cause led him to walk straight into everyone's least favorite jock, Dash Baxter.

The buff blond whirled around, glaring down at Danny who barely acknowledged that he had run into something and attempted to keep walking. "Where do you think you're going, loser?!" Dash yelled as he grabbed the back collar of Danny's shirt and slammed the smaller teen into a locker.

Danny winced as the impact made him see stars as his headache returned with a vengeance. He felt Dash's hot breath on his ear as the bully whispered, "Don't think I've forgotten about what happened two days ago. But I'm feeling generous today. I'll give you to the count of three to apologize to me, Fen-toenail before I feed you a knuckle sandwich."

Dash began his countdown as he whirled Danny around to face him, still pinning the smaller teen against the locker. Sam and Tucker were desperately trying to get to Danny but Dash's goons were holding them off as other students gathered around, eager to see a fight.

If it's a fight they want, then who are we to deny the people what they desire?

Danny's head whipped around, eyes searching the halls. Who had said that? The teen winced once again as his head pounded and he struggled to keep his eyes open as he heard a ringing noise grow louder in his ears.

This bumbling oaf has no idea who he is dealing with. Make an example of him.

All the noise around Danny began to fade until he could only hear the sound of his own breathing. The world around him seemed to be moving in slow motion. Sam and Tucker were still trying to get to Danny, and failing. Danny blinked and watched a bead of sweat roll down Dash's face as he mouthed another number. His body temperature began to rise as a familiar cool feeling surrounded his right ring finger.

Show them who they should fear.

Almost immediately, Danny's strength returned to him and his eyes flashed a toxic green. Dash stopped his countdown and a confused expression appeared on his face. "What the-" the bully started but never finished as Danny's fist connected with the jock's jaw.

Dash let go of Danny in surprise and stumbled backwards, blinking rapidly. The assault didn't end there, as Danny quickly followed his punch with a swift kick to the abdomen and driving his elbow into Dash's back. The larger teen fell to the ground, cracking his skull against the tiled floor. The raven-haired boy attempted to finish off Dash but was restrained by two pairs of hands, Sam and Tucker's.

"Let me go!" Danny howled, pulling against their grips, heartbeat pounding in his ears. His eyes were fully trained on the semi-conscious football player on the floor like a predator on prey. 

Suddenly, Danny felt a chill overcome his body and his strength left him. He felt the darkness of unconsciousness start to overtake him as he heard a voice scream out in anger.

Very well... I shall withdraw for now. Just wait, dear Prince, they will respect your great power soon enough.

hi! it's the littlest line break! anyone want muffins? they're my grandma's secret recipe *wink* enjoy the rest of the chapter!

When Danny opened his eyes, he was staring up at the stained ceiling of the school's broom closet. The teen groaned as he sat up, clutching his head. Suddenly, a smack to the back of his head had him at attention.

The person responsible for the smack, Sam Manson, was currently glaring daggers at Danny while Tucker merely sat off to the side, staring at Danny with a look of concern painted on his features.

"What the heck was that about, Danny!" Sam practically screamed. 

Danny blinked slowly, trying to recall what had happened before he had woken up in the broom closet. He remembered walking through the hall, bumping into something, hitting the locker and... Dash.

The halfa looked to the floor, as memories of him beating up Dash ran through his head. "I... I don't know what came over me," he admitted.

Sam huffed, her anger dying down slightly after seeing how upset Danny was. "You're just lucky Fright Knight's quick thinking got you out of there," she told him, brushing his bangs out of his face. Danny tilted his head in confusion.

"I offer my deepest apologies, my liege," a hushed voice came from the back corner of the closet. Danny looked over and saw a very sheepish looking Fright Knight. "When I saw how the situation was escalating, I just acted on impulse and possessed you to take you to safety," the bodyguard explained. He refused to make eye contact with Danny, as if he was a child waiting for a scolding.

Danny sighed, "Guys, I don't know what's wrong with me," he said in a hushed voice.

"Maybe it's all this Prince stuff. It's gotta be getting to you," Tucker offered, "Isn't the coronation soon?".

Fright Knight snapped to attention at the mention of the coronation. "That is right! It is less than two days away, you must be stressed because of that!" He exclaimed. Fright Knight inched closer to Danny, "My liege, I know you said before that you did not want to assume the throne and you still have time to think about it. It is a short amount of time, true, but it is still time," the ghostly knight said, trying to be comforting, "And what I said before is true. I will stand by you no matter your choice."

Danny smiled gently at the attempt and sighed once more. "I don't know. I mean, I'm just a kid. I don't know anything about ruling a kingdom, let alone a ghost one," he said, leaning against the wall of the closet. "Maybe, I'll just tell Clockwork that he was wrong. I'm not the King they've been looking for."

NO!

Danny suddenly gripped the sides of his head as his headache returned in full force.

I WILL NOT LET YOU RUIN ALL OF MY HARD WORK!

Danny whimpered and looked around in a panic, trying to find the source of the voice. "Who's saying that?" the young halfa asked, looking from his human friends to his ghost one. They merely stared back in confusion

"Danny, what's happening? What's wrong?" Sam asked, panic in her voice as she watched Danny's condition worsen.

I do hope you'll forgive me, my Prince.

"Danny, talk to us!" Sam shouted, grabbing Danny by the shoulders.

"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" Danny screamed, shoving Sam off of him. He had underestimated his own strength and his shove sent Sam flying to the other side of the closet, causing her to hit her head off the wall and slumped to the ground, moaning in pain.

"Sam!" Tucker shouted, crawling to the goth's side. He inspected her head and saw that she had a bump already forming at the back of her head. Tucker turned to say something to Danny but noticed his half-ghost friend had disappeared, as had Fright Knight.

Tucker held Sam close as he worried about what was happening to Danny, and hoped that at least Fright Knight would know what to do.

Hello darlings, Posh Line Break here. Today I am giving out samples of my newest line of tissues. Extra absorbent and soft, from my exclusive line. Go on, continue reading now you lovelies. <3

Danny arrived at Fenton Works late at night and slammed the door behind him as he entered the house. He began to head towards his room before the voice of his mother calling him stopped him.

"Daniel Fenton! Kitchen! Now!" Maddie's voice came from the kitchen. Danny grumbled and rolled his eyes before walking into the kitchen to see a very angry Maddie. Jack was there as well, giving an equally disappointed look as he sat at the kitchen table.

"I just got off the phone with your school," she started, "You got into a fight with another student?! And now he's in the hospital!"

"Serves him right," Danny muttered quietly under his breath. Though not quietly enough as the keen ears of Maddie Fenton had caught what her young son had said.

"Young man, you are grounded! And you will be visiting that boy tomorrow in the hospital to apologize to him!" Maddie yelled.

"I'm not going to apologize for anything! He started it!" Danny screamed back.

"Hey!" Jack shouted, standing from his seat and standing beside Maddie, "You will not speak to your mother that way. Now go to your room."

Danny turned away without another word and stomped all the way up to his room. He threw his backpack on his bed and opened his window, climbing onto the sill. He leaped from the edge just as his transformation started and flew into the air to go on a quick patrol. He was hoping that there was a ghost causing trouble tonight, he needed to let off some steam.

As Danny flew past an old abandoned factory, his ghost sense went off and a devilish glint appeared in his eyes. He changed his flight path to the factory and phased into the building, immediately spotting the Box Ghost who was innocently stacking boxes and looking inside them. Without a word of warning, Danny fired an ectoblast at the Box Ghost and sent the chubby ghost flying into the wall.

"What the-" the Box Ghost started, shaking his head, "Who dares to challenge the BOX GHOOOOOST?" he finished by raising his arms and wiggling his fingers. He finally noticed Danny and was about to made a snide remark until he saw the fire in the boy's eyes. He had fought Danny Phantom many times, always coming oh so close to winning (in his opinion), but even the idiotic Box Ghost could tell there was something different about the teen hero tonight.

"Um... BEWARE!" the blue ghost shouted before phasing out of the building in a daring escape. The Box Ghost flew as fast as he could away from the factory, trying to put as much distance between him and the halfa as possible. As he neared the park, a blur of black and white appeared in front of him and landed a kick to his face that sent him straight to the ground below.

Dazed, the Box Ghost looked up to see Danny Phantom hovering in front of him, hands charged with ecto-energy. The chubby ghost attempted to escape but was too late as punch after punch landed, each more brutal than the last.

As the Box Ghost suffered, Danny felt more and more elated.

Yes, show them your power. Show them who they should fear.

As Danny landed punch after punch, he was too focused to notice the blue ectoplasm starting to coat his hands, or that the Box Ghost seemed to be getting smaller.

Now... FINISH HIM!

Danny grabbed the Box Ghost by the front of his overalls, and held out his other hand as a flaming ball of ecto-energy formed. His eyes became a solid green as the Ring of Rage appeared on his finger.

"Please," the Box Ghost said weakly, "I don't wanna disappear." His pleas went ignored as Danny's power kept growing. 

Just as Danny was about to land the finishing blow, the silent bystander became a bystander no more. Fright Knight slammed into Danny, landing a swift blow to the abdomen. The shock of the blow was able to stun Danny and Fright Knight took that opportunity to sling his young liege over his shoulder and fly away. The bodyguard didn't bother checking on the Box Ghost, he knew the annoying being would be fine in a few hours, sooner if he returned to the Ghost Zone. 

Fright Knight landed on a nearby rooftop and set Danny on the ground as the halfa began to wake up. His eyes had returned to him just having green irises and the Ring of Rage had disappeared from his finger.

"What... happened?" Danny asked, rubbing his head. He felt something drip on his face and lowered his hand to see it covered in blue ectoplasm. The young halfa's eyes widened as he images of him nearly beating the Box Ghost into a pile of ectoplasm.

Fright Knight lowered his head. "I watched over you but once I saw the Ring of Rage appear on your hand I felt it was my duty to intervene," Fright Knight admitted. He knelt in front of the young halfa and placed a hand on his shoulder, drawing the teen's attention to him. "You are not yourself, my liege," Fright Knight stated, "Whatever is troubling you, you can tell me. I am here to be at your service."

Danny's body immediately started trembling. "It's the ring," he admitted, hugging his knees close to his chest, "I keep seeing it, even when I'm in human form. My powers are out of control, even worse than when I first got them and..." Danny trailed off.

"My liege, I cannot help you unless you tell me what is troubling you," Fright Knight encouraged.

Danny inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. "I keep hearing a voice in my head. It keeps encouraging me to do terrible things and I can't stop it," Danny confessed, clutching his head, "It won't stop and I think it has something to do with the ring."

Fright Knight sighed, "I fear this is all Vizier's doing." The ghostly knight stood, pulling the young Prince to his feet. "The Time Master warned me that Vizier was growing bolder, and I believe this is his way of warning us that he is closer than we think," Fright Knight said to no one in particular. He did recall that Clockwork had said his other half tended to have a flair for the dramatic.

"So, what can we do about it?" Danny asked, holding his right hand close to his chest.

Fright Knight cast concerned eyes on Danny. "Nothing tonight. We will skip your scholarly lessons tomorrow and go to see the Time Master, but for now what you need is rest," the bodyguard instructed.

Danny opened his mouth to protest but Fright Knight had already started flying back towards Fenton Works. The halfa sighed, before chuckling to himself, "I thought I was the one who supposed to give orders around here."

Fright Knight had overheard him and whipped around, panic in his eyes that he offended his liege, but quickly recovered when he saw the joking smile on the teen's face. The two conversed all the way back to Fenton Works and Fright Knight promised to stay close and watch over him.

Unknown to either of them, there was a watcher in the shadows... waiting patiently to make his move.

Meanwhile...

At his mansion home, Vlad sat in front of a warm fire, his beloved cat Maddie curled up on his lap. A warm feeling rose in his chest and he sighed. "What is it now?" he asked, gently lifting his cat off of his lap and setting her on the chair.

"There has been a development," the cloaked ghost who had just phased into the room responded.

Vlad pinched the bridge of his nose, "What could it possibly be now?"

The cloaked ghost's eyes narrowed, "It is nothing that affects our current plan, but I encourage you to use caution for the next phase of the plan." The ghost got uncomfortably close to Vlad, staring the elder halfa down. "There is a new obstacle in our path that not even you can handle."

Vlad scoffed, "We'll see about that, now if that's all leave me to enjoy my evening in peace," he finished, turning away from the ghost. As he turned back to his fireplace Vlad found himself staring directly into the red eyes of his cloaked accomplice.

"I suggest you do not take my warnings lightly Plasmius, for to do so is at your peril," the ghost warned. The warning sent a chill down Vlad's spine as he swallowed hard and merely nodded in response. The ghost, satisfied with the answer, left without another word.

Vlad sunk down in his chair, nearly sitting on Maddie, who luckily lept out of the way at the last second with an annoyed meow. The elder halfa's face burned red as he relived the humiliation that he had just experienced.

"Just you wait," he schemed to himself, "Soon, you will be the one that trembles at my words." Vlad's laughter echoed throughout the room, before ending in a cough. "Oh, butter biscuits, too much smoke!"


	12. A Missing Prince

Danny sat on his bed, hugging his knees with a sleeping CJ curled up next to him. In his hand was his cellphone. Fright Knight phased into the room and saw the troubled expression on his young liege's face. The ghostly protector cleared his throat, catching the halfa's attention. "If we wish to see the Time Master, we best be on our way. Sooner is better than later when it comes to handling Vizier," Fright Knight said.

Danny nodded, biting his lip. Fright Knight turned away from the boy to create a portal, but was stopped when he heard Danny start moving on his bed. "Should I tell Sam and Tucker?" the teen asked suddenly. Fright Knight faced the teen again to see that he was no longer curled up. His legs dangled off the side of his bed as he looked down at his phone, hair covering his eyes. "I mean," the teen started again, "I've been acting so weird lately and they have no idea why. I told them about me being the new Ghost Prince and everything that's been happening in the Ghost Zone and with Vizier, but right now they probably think I'm just a jerk! I even hurt Sam yesterday! I didn't mean to, it wasn't my fault! I mean it was but Vizier was controlling me... kind of?!". As the teen went on with his rambling, his breathing became more erratic and he gripped his hair with such intensity his knuckles turned white.

Fearing that his liege would injure himself, Fright Knight roughly grabbed the teen by his shoulders and forced him to look up at the ghostly knight. "Young Phantom, in all my time of knowing you, you have always made the decision that was right for everyone. It does not matter what my opinion is, just trust your own core. It has never led you astray before," Fright Knight lectured in a gentle tone. His words were few, but they had seemed to have gotten to Danny as the teen calmed down and a smile crept onto his face.

"Yeah, you're right," Danny started as Fright Knight let go of the young halfa, "I should just trust my gut." Danny stood up as two white rings appeared around his waist and transformed into his alter ego. "Let's stop by the school, grab Sam and Tucker and go see Clockwork together!" he shouted gleefully.

While Fright Knight was hesitant in accepting this plan, (he still thought it would be better to see the Time Master as quickly as they could since Vizier was obviously making his presence known to them), he couldn't help but feel swayed by the look of excitement on his young liege's face. Averting his gaze, he grumbled in agreement but told Danny to be quick. The young halfa agreed and the two raced off towards Casper High. 

I AM THE GREAT AND POWERFUL LINE BREAK! I REQUEST OFFERINGS, PRAISE, AND AN ICE CREAM SANDWICH! YOU MAY NOW CONTINUE READING THE CHAPTER!

"I can't believe the nerve of that ghost boy," Sam grumbled as she and Tucker stood near the dumpsters of Casper High. She gently touched the bandages wrapped around her head and winced when she felt the large bump on the back of her skull. "I don't care what his excuses are, I'm sucking him into that thermos and he is staying there for eight hours!" she cried out.

Tucker shied away from his friend sensing her temper was at its worst right now and thought it was smart if he stayed out of her strike range. She was wearing her heavy duty combat boots today and if someone got kicked with those they would most certainly be getting a one-way ticket to the hospital. The technogeek shivered at the thought of winding up in a hospital and tried to lighten the mood. "I'm sure they're a reason Danny freaked out yesterday. He's been under a lot of pressure with this Ghost Prince thing I'm sure it's just getting to his head," he offered.

Sam huffed, "That's not the only thing that's gonna be getting to his head when I'm done with him," she growled, stomping her foot on the ground causing a pile of dirt to rise in the air. 

Tucker gulped and turned his gaze to his PDA. Both he and Sam had received a text from Danny asking them to meet him at the back of the school. He said he was going to explain everything to them and apologize in person for his actions. He sighed, tilting his head back and staring up at the sky. Why had Danny been acting so weird lately? Ever since he told them that he was going to try to find a way to get out of being the next Prince of the Ghost Zone things went downhill. Not to mention that Vizier guy who appeared out of nowhere and has some kind of connection to Clockwork.

"Tucker look!" Sam suddenly shouted, distracting Tucker from his train of thought. He looked to Sam to see that she was pointing at something in the sky. He turned his gaze back to the sky and saw Fright Knight flying towards them. His expression lit up slightly, but quickly turned to horror when Fright Knight flew closer. The ghostly knight crashed in front of the two teens, covered in wounds and leaking green blood everywhere.

Sam rushed to his side and removed her shoe, taking off her sock to tie it around one of Fright Knight's larger wounds. She did the same with her other sock and even ripped off one of the sleeves on Tucker's classic yellow shirt to bind a smaller wound that was bleeding heavily, much to the technogeek's protest.

"What happened, Fright Knight!?" Tucker asked, panicking as Sam ripped off his last remaining sleeve.

As Sam finished wrapping the last of the ghostly bodyguard's injury, she realized that they were missing a particular ghost boy. "Wait, where's Danny?!" she screamed, grabbing Fright Knight and shaking him. Tucker had to pull the goth off of Fright Knight before she made his injuries worse.

Fright Knight took a shaky breath before sitting up. "We were attacked... by Vizier," he began, stopping to cough harshly. "I tried to fight him off but... something got me from behind. I couldn't stop him... I'm so sorry." Tucker and Sam looked on in horror as they realized what Fright Knight was trying to say.

Vizier had Danny.


	13. Elders and Ancients

"This is bad, this is bad, this is really really bad!" Tucker panicked as he paced back and forth behind the school, tugging at the remains of his torn sleeves.

"Can you stop freaking out for five seconds and help me!?" Sam shouted at her friend as she struggled to pull Fright Knight's limp body to the wall of the school. Tucker quickly collected himself and assisted Sam in lugging the large ghost closer to the school so they could sit him upright. Once the ghost was stable, Sam continued to look over his injuries.

"I've only ever treated Danny's injuries and he's half ghost. I'm not exactly sure how to help you Fright, you gotta talk to me," Sam coaxed, a weird gentleness in her voice.

Fright Knight weakly pushed her away. "I will heal in time. But we must go at once. The Prince is in danger!" the ghostly knight cried out as he tried to stand up, only for his knees to buckle and he collapsed once more.

"Yeah, you're not going to be much help to Danny in this state. Whatever Vizier did to you really messed you up," Sam commented. She had only seen Danny fight him a few times but she knew that for as dumb as Fright Knight was (in her opinion), it took a lot to take him down.

Tucker hid behind Sam and peeked out over her shoulder to glance at Fright Knight. "What exactly happened to you guys?" he asked.

The bodyguard sighed, shame in his solid green eyes. "The Prince and I were headed here, to collect you two and go see the Time Master. The Prince's powers and Vizier are connected. Vizier was the reason behind the odd behavior the Prince has been showing," Fright Knight explained. He paused to cough, clutching his armored chest and trembling slightly. He was able to get his bearings and continued speaking, though his voice was much quieter, "I wanted to go see the Time Master immediately, but I listened to my liege's request. On our way here, I was struck from behind. When I came to, there was a silver dagger in my chest and I barely caught a glimpse of Vizier carrying my unconscious liege into a portal and disappearing."

Sam and Tucker stood in stunned silence. "We have to go see Clockwork. Now," Sam said, squaring her jaw.

"Agreed," Fright Knight added without hesitation. He tried to stand up once more using the wall for support and grabbing a board that was propped up against the dumpster next to him as a walking stick. Sam attempted to stop him but Fright Knight shook his head. "I have already begun to recover, Lady Sam," he insisted.

Sam's eyes narrowed, "Who're you calling Lady-" she began, only for Fright Knight to interrupt her.

"I will create a portal to take us to Clockwork's realm, but I fear that it will use up the remaining strength I have," he commented, walking away from the two teens. "I understand if you are still wary of me, but trust me when I say that my life is dedicated to protecting the Prin-... I mean, Danny's life."

Sam and Tucker shared a glance. It wasn't totally wrong that they didn't fully trust Fright Knight, but if Danny trusted his own enemy enough to let him be his bodyguard, they could try too. The two teens stood next to Fright Knight, helping support him. The ghost's green eyes showed relief and he quickly regained focus on summoning a portal. A circle of green flashed in front of them and soon they were staring into the swirling mass of green that was the Ghost Zone. 

"You may want to stand back," Fright Knight said, taking a step away from the portal and weakly trying to drag the teens with him. Sam and Tucker put one of Fright Knight's arms over each of their shoulders and tried to lug the heavy ghost away from the portal per his request. They were certainly glad they had listened for mere seconds after the backed away from the portal, Fright Knight's winged steed, Nightmare, emerged from the portal. He neighed happily at the sight of his rider but soon his happy neighs turning to warning grunts and stomps when he noticed the two humans holding his rider.

"It's alright, old friend. They are friends of the Prince," Fright Knight assured the horse, walking up to him and patting him on the snout. Nightmare quickly calmed and nuzzled his master. Fright Knight mounted his steed and motioned for Sam and Tucker to do the same.

"Of course we have to ride the scary flaming horse," Tucker sighed, following behind Sam as Fright Knight pulled her up on the horse. Nightmare turned his head to glare and huff at Tucker who yelped in fear before quickly scrambling up on the horse behind Sam.

Fright Knight lifted the reins, adjusting his seating on Nightmare. "You may want to hold on," he warned over his shoulder, before snapping the reins. Nightmare spread is magnificent wings and took off into the portal like a speeding bullet. Sam gripped the back of the saddle with white knuckles while Tucker wrapped his arms around Sam for dear life, screaming in terror.

The trio rode through the Ghost Zone at lightening speed and arrived at Clockwork's Tower in no time. They soared right into his main hall before Nightmare landed, Tucker still screaming long after they had stopped. Sam had to slap him upside the head before he had realized that they were no longer moving.

"Are you two alright?" Fright Knight asked, dismounting his horse and offering his hand to Sam.

Sam removed Tucker's arms from around her waist and hopped off Nightmare without Fright Knight's help. "Aside from Tucker permanently re-shaping my spine, just great," she scoffed.

Tucker silently climbed off Nightmare and quickly scurried as far away as he could get from the winged steed. Nightmare shook his head happily before trotting out the door of Clockwork's Tower.

"Now, let us find-" Fright Knight began before he was interrupted by a loud explosion coming from above them.

The trio looked upwards and immediately raced to the nearest stairwell, with Fright Knight leading the way and seeming to have forgotten the severity of his wounds. After reaching the top of a seemingly infinite staircase, they ran down a long hall and crashed through the doors of Clockwork's chamber to see the Time Master locked in combat with a eerily familiar ghost.

"You've lost your touch, Clockwork!" the unknown ghost cried out, as orbs of shimmering golden and purple formed in his hands. His body was made of a starry night sky that held splashes of blue, purple and gold with upturned horns and stood at a much larger height than Clockwork.

"I'm just going easy on you. After all, this is the first time you've had any real power in a few centuries," Clockwork taunted in his toddler form, brandishing his staff and manifesting glowing blue clock-hands, aiming at his opponent. 

The two charged at each other, exchanging blows and snide remarks. The tower shook with every clash and the trio found it difficult to keep their balance.

Sam pulled out a Fenton Wrist Ray from her pocket and attached it, taking aim at the starry ghost. She fired, making a direct hit and distracting the unknown attacker. All attention turned to the human goth girl standing in the doorway.

"What is the meaning of this!?" the starry ghost demanded, clearly upset their fight was interrupted.

Clockwork on the other hand, adjusted his robes and floated down to his visitors, morphing into his young adult form. "Fright Knight, Sam, Tucker. What brings you here?" he asked, looking around for something. When his eyes didn't find it, he sighed, turning away from the trio. "Come in, we don't have much time," he said monotonously without giving any of the three a chance to speak. His eyes cast quickly upwards at the ghost he had been fighting, and issued a quick command, "Nocturne, behave."

Sam and Tucker's eyes widened when they heard the familiar name. They stared up at the ghost, slack-jawed in awe. "Nocturne!?" they cried out in unison.

Nocturne glanced down at the two teens and grinned. "Oh fun, the ghost boy's little friends are here. I'm sure this is going to be interesting," he cooed, floating down to the ground and shrinking in size, becoming just slightly taller than Clockwork.

"I assume you already know why we're here," Fright Knight said, bowing his head in shame. "I have failed."

"You are not to blame, Fright Knight," Clockwork assured him, turning to his viewing screens. "Vizier's capture of Danny was inevitable. Especially after you had convinced Danny to come speak with me about Vizier's influence on him through the ring."

"Wait a second," Sam said menacingly, "You knew that no matter what happened, Vizier would get his hands on Danny?"

Clockwork nodded, waving his staff in front of the screens. The events of Danny's capture played out just as Fright Knight had described it. The ghostly knight turned his head away in shame, gripping his sword tightly.

"So what was the point of you telling me to never leave his side?!" Fright Knight questioned angrily, getting in Clockwork's face.

The Time Master shifted to his elderly form and gently pushed Fright Knight away while Nocturne stifled a giggle in the background. "The point, Fright Knight, was so that I could control what future we received. I needed to ensure that Vizier's attack was within a future where he could be defeated," Clockwork explained, adjusting the time on his staff.

"So, that means everything is going to be ok?" Tucker asked, hope in his eyes.

Nocturne scoffed in the behind them, "Of course not, fool." Tucker sent a glare Nocturne's way.

Clockwork sighed, "Though rude, Nocturne's statement is right. The future is ever-changing. One cannot control every outcome, not even myself." The Time Master waved his staff and an image of Phantom's Keep flickered onto the screens. He turned to the four others in the room, "What I have done is given us a fighting chance. We must strike before the end of tomorrow, before Danny is crowned or else we will be too late and Danny Phantom will become the next Pariah Dark."

"Wait, what is that supposed to mean?" Sam asked, "Pariah Dark was trapped in the coffin forever when Danny fought him. How is Danny supposed to become Pariah Dark?"

Clockwork sighed and the screens flickered to show the Ghost Zone, though none of the ghosts that they saw looked even slightly familiar. "You all may want to sit down. This is a long story," the purple clad ghost advised.

Nocturne quickly flew out of the room and returned with a couch he had assumedly taken from Clockwork's library. Fright Knight, Sam and Tucker all took a seat on the couch while Nocturne took to resting on a viewing screen, much to Clockwork's annoyance.

"A long time ago," Clockwork began, "the world was created and with it, the Ghost Zone. A realm for the dead to roam if they were left unsatisfied with something in their living days." Clockwork adjusted the time on his staff as he shifted to his toddler form. An image of four shadowed figure appeared on the screens. Nocturne's expression turned grim and his fangless smile turned into a fanged grimace. Clockwork took note of his fellow spirit's change in attitude and made a mental note to tread lightly on this topic. "With the Ghost Zone, came chaos. Ghosts going to and from the human world and Ghost Zone, humans falling into unpredictable portals and becoming trapped in the Ghost Zone for all eternity. Eventually, four ghosts, eventually known as the Ancients, created eight Elder Spirits to manage the balance between the Ghost Zone and the human world. Two created spirits of Harmony while the other two created spirits of Discord. Each Harmony spirit had a Discord partner and together would share a responsibility of balance." While Clockwork explained, the images began to move as the four Ancients separated into pairs and created four spirits each. 

Clockwork shifted to his young adult form and gently touched the scar on his left eye. "The Elder Spirits controlled by Harmony were given a scar on their left eyes, while the Elder Spirits controlled by Discord were given ones on their right," he explained. 

Nocturne gently touched the scar on his left eye, before curling his sparkling hand into a fist. He swooped down from his perch on the viewing screen and landed gracefully beside Clockwork. "Clockwork and I are two of the four Elder Spirits of Harmony," Nocturne announced, unceremoniously, "Where are the others you may be wondering? Well, after Clockwork's Discord pair, Vizier, decided he didn't want to listen to the Ancients' rules anymore, decided that teaming up with Pariah Dark, a fellow Elder Spirit of Discord, was the next best thing." When Nocturne finished he promptly walked to the back of the room and became interested in the books lying scattered about the floor.

Clockwork sighed and stared at the stunned faces of the two human teens sitting before him, their jaws dropped and their eyes looking just about ready to pop out of their skulls. "I understand this is a lot of information to take in at once, and I normally would not disclose it to humans, much less teenage humans, but the situation has left me no choice," Clockwork said hurriedly, turning back to the viewing screens. "We attempted to stop Vizier and Pariah, but during the final battle, all but 4 of the Elder Spirits were lost. Nocturne, Pariah, Vizier and myself," the Time Master continued, though his voice had grown soft. "Pariah had been imprisoned in the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep, Vizier banished to an alternate prison realm by my hand, Nocturne relinquished his title and became a mere ghost, which left me. A sole Elder to watch over and keep the balance." Clockwork pressed his forehead against the cool glass of the viewing screens as he shifted to his elderly form.

A hand was placed on his shoulder and the Time Master turned to see Fright Knight. "Do not despair, great Time Master. We will not let history repeat itself!" he declared, "We will rescue the Prince and defeat Vizier once and for all!" Fright Knight turned to Tucker and Sam for support, who stood up, giving confident smiles. The bodyguard's gaze went to Nocturne who merely sighed in response before floating over to join the group.

"At least it will certainly be interesting," Nocturne chuckled, sending a knowing look to Clockwork.

Clockwork let a small smile grace his wrinkled features. "Then we must hurry and plan. Our time is short."

Tucker smiled, "At least we have an advantage. Danny told us that without the Crown of Fire the Ring of Rage is next to useless. We have the advantage!" he said, proudly.

Just then, two wounded Observants burst through the chamber doors, collapsing in front of Tucker. The technogeek shrieked and hid behind Sam while Fright Knight rushed to assist them.

"Clockwork," one Observant coughed weakly, "Vizier he-"

"I know," Clockwork interrupted, turning to his viewing screens. A simple tap on the main screen caused the images to ripple and an image of a ghost with a wrinkled grey face, oily black hair with eyes that burned red and a car running through his right eye. In his hands he held an ornate box and was quickly entering Phantom's Keep.

"Vizier has the Crown of Fire," Clockwork said in his monotonous voice.


	14. Battle Plans

Danny groaned as he slowly opened his eyes, wincing as the light caused his current migraine to get even worse. He tried to stand up, but found himself unable to. After trying a few more times, Danny was soon wide awake and came to the realization that the reason he could not get up was because his wrists and ankles were bound to the chair he was sitting in. No, not chair, throne. He was sitting on the throne in Phantom's Keep in his Ghost Prince form, with the Ring of Rage glowing menacingly on his finger.

Danny began to panic, trying desperately to remember how and why he was at the castle, but his memory was drawing a blank. He and Fright Knight had been on their way to get his friends so they could talk to Clockwork about Vizier trying to control Danny through the ring and then...

The doors to the throne room swung open with a flourish, startling the young halfa out of his thoughts, and in floated a familiar, wrinkled face. "Ah, you have finally awakened, your Highness," Vizier said gleefully, hurrying to Danny's side.

Suddenly, Danny remembered everything. Flying to school, being ambushed by shapeless creatures, seeing Vizier and then nothing. "You?!" Danny cried out, pulling desperately against his restraints, "What do you want from me?!".

Vizier frowned, "I am merely helping you fulfill your destiny, my Prince; to lead the Ghost Zone into a new age of prosperity, just as your predecessor had attempted." Vizier's expression turned grim as he continued, "Pariah and I were so close to making everything better, taking back the Ghost Zone from the Ancients, then everyone had to interfere..." he trailed off, leaving an air of awkwardness.

The frail looking spirit looked over to a very confused Danny and smirked. "But now, there is a new King that can change all that," he said, regaining his former eerie composure.

Danny pulled against his restraints, desperately trying to activate his powers, to no avail. "Hate to break it to you, Vizier, but I'm the reason that Pariah isn't parading through the Ghost Zone right now. So you can understand my lack of enthusiasm when it comes to being his replacement," the halfa taunted.

Vizier's eyes flashed a dangerous before he calmed himself. "Your hesitation is understandable, my Prince," he whispered, closing his eyes. He floated closer to Danny, reaching into his cloak. He was barely a breath away from the young hero when Vizier opened his eyes to glare at Danny, "and also most annoying," he finished, removing an ornate box from his cloak. He opened it to reveal the Crown of Fire.

Danny gasped and back away from Vizier as much as he could (he was tied to the throne after all). "Have no fear, young Prince. Once the Crown is united with the Ring, you will reach your true potential. And I, your loyal adviser, will be here to guide you to the path of greatness," he coaxed, removing the crown and placing it above Danny's head.

"Whether you want it or not."

Hey, it's Normal Line Break. Just checking in to see if you readers are all good. I made a resolution to be kinder. It may not last long but eh, you take what you can get. Enjoy the rest of the chapter *awkward smile*.

While Fright Knight tended to the wounds the Observants had gained with the help of Tucker and Sam treated Fright Knight's wounds that had reopened due to his constant movement, Clockwork stared at his viewing screens, adjusting the time on his staff constantly and stroking his elderly form's beard.

"Careful, old friend," Nocturne warned, though his words seemed mocking as he floated to Clockwork's side, "you only get one relic after all." He finished by tapping on Clockwork's staff. "Speaking of which...," the starry spirit pondered, stroking his chin.

Clockwork sighed, cutting off Nocturne before the Elder Spirit could utter his question, "I collected all the ones I could find, yours wasn't one of them," he answered quickly, shifting to his elderly form. 

Nocturne rolled his eyes, but let the subject go. He could tell his fellow Elder Spirit was not in the mood to be tested. "So, your other half has the Crown, the Ring and the Prince; and his coronation is to take place today," he started, "What are we going to do?"

"Stop him," Clockwork answered quickly, floating from screen to screen as multiple different timelines played on the screens at dizzying speeds. "I have seen every possible outcome, our chances of victory are all but guaranteed."

"That's sounds like a good thing," Sam chimed in, taking a break from helping the Observants and bravely standing close to Nocturne, "but you don't seem too happy about this." Granted, Clockwork never really seemed happy about anything but the young goth girl had a sense for emotions that were the opposite of happy.

The Time Master furrowed his brow at the goth, shifting to his toddler form. "As I once told Danny, the way I see time is like an aerial view of a parade. I see the twists and turns it may, or may not take," Clockwork began to explain, turning back to the screens. "But this does not mean I can completely know what future is the one that will come to be. I do have the ability to interfere but it comes at a price." The image on the screen that Clockwork was currently floating in front of rippled until it held the face of a very familiar foe; Danny's future evil self. 

Sam gasped which caused Tucker and Fright Knight to look up. Tucker rushed to Sam's side, staring in disbelief at the screen. "Don't tell me that creep is back too?!" Tucker cried out, gripping his beret tightly.

Clockwork shook his head, shifting to his young adult form. "I took my chances helping Danny overcome his dark future. I meddled and now I am paying the price for it, by putting Danny in danger," the Elder Spirit mused.

Nocturne scoffed, "So what? You want to throw yourself a pity party? By the Creator, what has happened to you, old friend. Does that human truly mean that much to you?" he questioned. Nocturne's casual way of throwing out the idea that Clockwork shouldn't help Danny had Sam glaring daggers at him and hovering her hand over her Fenton Wrist Ray with Tucker right behind her to give her backup. Even Fright Knight had ceased tending to the Observants' wounds to rest his hand on his sword, the Soul Shredder.

Sensing the growing hostility, Clockwork pinched the bridge of his nose. He floated down to rejoin the group and shifted to his elderly form. "That human is more important than you realize, Nocturne. Someday, you will understand," Clockwork scolded. Nocturne frowned but backed off and the hostility in the air faded. "Now, we haven't much time," Clockwork continued, heading to the doors leading out of his chamber with his guests in tow, "we must attack now, before the hour of Danny's coronation or else we will be too late and your friend will become the next Pariah Dark."

"This should be easy, right? One bad Elder Spirit, guy, versus two good Elder Spirits, a ghost knight and two professional ghost hunters?" Tucker said, brushing off his shoulders confidently and showing off his non-existent muscles.

Nocturne's booming laughter filled the halls of Clockwork's Tower, causing the technogeek to jump. When he had finally stopped laughing, the starry spirit wiped a tear from his eye, "Oh dear, I didn't realize humans could be so stupid they were funny!" he chuckled. 

Tucker frowned, "You got something to say, smart guy?"

Nocturne loomed over Tucker, his blood red eyes staring deep into Tucker's blue eyes. The teen felt the world around him disappear until it was just him and Nocturne, trapped in a void of endless nothingness. "Two human hunters are barely a match for a mere blob ghost, your ghost knight is wounded, and my powers are certainly strong but I am nowhere near my full potential as I have not had them for longer than your entire family has been alive," Nocturne growled, his voice echoing all around Tucker. "Not to mention, the only one who can put an end Vizier is Clockwork. Such is the Ancient's Law."

Tucker felt his mouth go dry and found it hard to breathe. He scrambled backwards, away from the piercing eyes that drove knives into his soul, but found no escape. He had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. He was... nothing...

"TUCKER!"

A voice screaming his name caused Tucker to sharply inhale, and proceed to cough as the rush of oxygen into his body was too much for it to handle at that moment. When Tucker stopped coughing he saw Sam kneeling next to him, glaring up at Nocturne. Next to Nocturne was a very angry Fright Knight holding the Soul Shredder to the starry Elder Spirit's throat.

"I advise you to not bring harm to the young Prince's friends. For you will have me to answer to if you do," the ghost knight said coldly.

Nocturne rolled his eyes, "How completely un-interesting. Can't any of you take a joke? I'm only the Elder Spirit of Mind after all. I can't hurt his body," he explained before slinking away to float next to Clockwork, who apparently had just ignored the whole ordeal.

The Elder Spirit of Time was running every possible outcome in his mind. They would only have one chance to save Danny and fix everything, but they had to do it within the realm of possibility or risk making everything worse. After much more silent deliberation (or as silent as it could get due to Nocturne constantly antagonizing the other three beings in the room which led to very loud arguments), Clockwork had made his decision.

Gathering the other four members in the room, he began to explain his plan. They were to attack immediately. Nocturne and Fright Knight were instructed to be bait, to draw out any tricks Vizier had and fight them off while Sam, Tucker and Clockwork slipped past the castle's defenses and reach the throne room. Clockwork would deal with Vizier while Tucker and Sam tried to get to Danny.

"One addition to that plan," Sam interrupted, "we should bring in Jazz." 

Tucker looked at his gothic friend in shock. Never in a thousand years would he have guessed that Sam would suggest that they include Danny's cheery older sister in a mission, especially not after the last time she tried to help them and ended up only capturing her brother in the Fenton Thermos.

Sam rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "I'm almost positive she already knows about Danny being the next Ghost Prince and she's probably not going to be too happy to hear that we left her out of a mission that defines her brother's fate," she explained. 

The others had to admit that she had a point. They made a quick stop at Fenton Works to grab Jazz (who was extremely angry at not being told about Vizier until now but that anger quickly changed into rage after hearing that he had Danny). The three humans geared up with a multitude of Fenton Ghost Hunting equipment and piled into Specter Speeder. 

Sam and Tucker did their best to catch Jazz up on everything that had happened, Fright Knight being Danny's bodyguard, Vizier's plan, the Elder Spirits and Nocturne, while Jazz listened intently as she went through a roller coaster of emotions. Jazz knew that Clockwork was bad news, but she kept those thoughts to herself as apparently he was the key to saving Danny. She'd chew out the Elder Spirit later, after she locked Danny in the Fenton Thermos for a few hours for not telling her about any of this.

Fright Knight joined the humans on the Specter Speeder to conserve as much energy as he could before the battle as his wounds were still healing. Though that may have been a mistake as he was just badgered with questions by Jazz.

Nocturne and Clockwork flew alongside the Specter Speeder in silence, with Nocturne stealing a glance at Clockwork every now and then. Clockwork shifted to his toddler form and blurted out, "What is it, Nocturne?". He was tired of the 'secret' glances and wanted to make sure Nocturne was going into this battle with a clear conscience.

"Well, since you've asked," Nocturne began, floating in front of Clockwork while keeping up with the Speeder, "You mentioned that the boy is quite important to you, but never why. I'm just curious about what kind of human can pierce the cold heart of the Time Master," he finished with a smirk.

Clockwork glared at Nocturne. "Maybe... I see something in the boy that you don't. Well, not yet at least," he replied, refusing to say anymore. Nocturne tried to pry out a better answer, but Clockwork had fallen silent.

Admitting defeat, Nocturne returned to Clockwork's side. "Just make sure you put an end to Vizier for good this time," he grumbled.

True to his vow of silence, Clockwork did not reply. In his mind though, he was already imagining all the ways he saw Vizier being defeated, silently hoping that the path they were currently on would lead to the future where at least one of those ways would become reality.


	15. Take Back the Keep

As the castle entered their field of view, the not so merry band of ghosts and humans were getting nervous. They had one shot, one chance to make everything right again. If they failed, the Ghost Zone would fall under the rule of a new, potentially even more tyrannical Ghost King. As they grew closer, Nocturne and Clockwork led the way, keeping their eyes peeled for any surprise attacks. Fright Knight exited the speeder and mounted his steed, acting as backup and protecting the humans inside the speeder.

Surprisingly, they arrived at the front doors of the castle without issue.

"Maybe he doesn't know we're coming?" Tucker said, hope in his voice. Soon after he finished his sentence, the castle rumbled and the doors creaked open.

"Or not," the technogeek sighed. 

The humans armed themselves with every piece of ghost fighting equipment they could find. Jazz equipped herself with the Fenton Ghost Peeler, Sam grabbed the Fenton Foamer and a Fenton Wrist Ray while Tucker opted for the Fenton Ghost Gauntlets. Geared up, the three humans exited the speeder, following close behind the three ghosts. As soon as they entered the castle, the doors slammed shut behind them with a force that nearly knocked the humans to the ground. Darkness was all around them until Fright Knight unsheathed his sword, letting its ghostly flames light their way. 

As they began to make their way further into the castle, Clockwork suddenly slammed down his staff, bringing everyone behind him to a halt at the entrance of a darkened hallway. "Wait," he whispered, "something isn't right."

"Yeah, you're right," Sam added, "We're standing in a dark hallway while Danny is in trouble! We have to help him!" The goth began to charge past Clockwork into the hall when the entire hall started to turn sideways. Sam stepped into the hall and slipped, her fall aimed directly at a suit of armor holding a very real, very pointy sword.

"Lady Sam!" Fright Knight cried out, flying in to catch her and return her to the entrance of the hall with the others. While Sam recovered from the shock of what just happened with Tucker and Jazz looking after her, Clockwork muttered to himself.

"Clockwork, mind sharing what is going through that old cog-brain of yours?" Nocturne huffed.

"Yeah! What was up with the moving hallway? Did it always do that?" Jazz cried out.

The purple clad spirit shook his head as he shifted to his toddler form. "Vizier must have found his Relic... but how?" he said to no one in particular. Turning to the rest of the group, Clockwork explained, "Vizier is the Elder Spirit of Space. He is using his powers to bend and shift the castle to his will in order to prevent us from finding Danny."

Clockwork cursed himself in his mind for not considering that Vizier might have his Relic with him. This made things much more difficult. "We must stick together and be wary. The castle could move and change at any instance."

The group nodded in agreement and pushed into the now sideways hall, being careful to avoid the suits of armor holding various weaponry. They made it through the hall with no further issues and pressed onward. They made their way through seemingly never-ending stairways, rooms that lead to nowhere, windows that became doors and underneath rugs that became stairs.

"It feels like we've been doing this for hours and we've gotten nowhere!" Jazz shouted. "How are we ever going to find Danny in this labyrinth?" She fought the urge to let tears spill from her eyes. Her fear of losing her brother could not cloud her judgement now, she had to stay positive.

"Patience, Jasmine. We will find Danny. We just need to outsmart Vizier," Clockwork assured her.

Nocturne huffed, "This ceased to be interesting hours ago, it is just redundant now. If I had my Relic, we would have been in and out already." The large spirit crossed his arms and bowed his head to enter a rather small room filled with painting. The others followed after him as the doors slammed shut behind them and disappeared.

A maddening laugh filled the room. Readying their weapons, the group prepared for an attack, standing back to back in a defensive circle. The laugh died away and was replaced by a smooth echoing voice. "Well played, my other half," it purred, "but you'll never get to the Prince. He is mine now. Together we will bring the Ghost Zone into a new age. An age where ghosts and spirits reign supreme!" The voice laughed once more before it's presence disappeared from the room. 

"Hmm, now that sounds interesting," Nocturne mused to himself as Clockwork passed by him, looking at a painting. Fright Knight aimed his sword at Nocturne's throat, prompting the Elder Spirit to raise his arms in defense. "Only kidding," he chuckled, pressing down on the end of the sword and aiming it away from himself. "Don't fret little knight, we'll save your precious Prince."

Fright Knight's eyes narrowed at Nocturne but he felt it would be useless to start a fight among their own ranks at this crucial moment.

"So now what?!" Sam shouted, throwing her arms in the air. "We just sit around, trapped in here while the world ends?"

"Of course not," Clockwork chimed in, tapping his staff on a painting. "No room is without an exit, and this right here," the purple clad ghost pressed his hand on a painting of two solid black doors with green swirls covering it, "is our exit." Clockwork's hand went through the painting and, shortly afterwards, so did the rest of him. 

The remaining five shared a look before approaching the painting and following Clockwork's example. After falling through the painting, they found themselves in the throne room of Phantom's Keep.

Jazz gasped as her eyes landed on the throne. "Danny!" she screamed. Everyone's gaze immediately went to the throne where a familiar ghost boy was currently tied up. His head hung limp and his hair covered his eyes. He didn't appear to be breathing. The three humans immediately stood up and rushed to their friend, with Fright Knight close behind. Clockwork and Nocturne hung back, surveying the room closely. Something about this felt too easy.

Sam, Tucker, Jazz and Fright Knight made it to Danny's side and Fright Knight freed his liege from the restraints. Danny fell forward and Tucker and Sam dove to catch him.

"Don't worry buddy, we got you," Tucker assured him. The three humans hugged Danny and stood, with Sam and Tucker each taking one of Danny's arms and slinging it over their shoulders. 

"Alright, we got Danny!" Sam shouted at Nocturne and Clockwork, "Get us out of here!"

Danny suddenly stirred in their grip. He shivered violently, breaking free of Sam and Tucker's hold on him and fell to the floor, writhing silently. 

"Danny?" Jazz said tentatively, reaching out to touch her brother's shoulder.

The young halfa's eyes immediately opened, glowing solid green. He rose and walked away from them, seating himself on the throne. Danny crossed his legs and leaned his elbow on the armrest, resting his cheek on his fist. "Vizier!" he shouted.

A grey skinned ghost with wrinkled features and burning red eyes materialized next to Danny. He wore a tattered black cloak with white accents that hid a black tunic and white trousers. His oily black hair spilled past his bony shoulders and was held out his face but a iridescent pendant attached to a silver chain. In one hand he held what looked to the humans like a Rubik's cube but it was only different shades of purple. "Yes, your Highness?" the ghost, Vizier replied, bowing as he did.

"What's going on? Clockwork what's happening?!" Sam shouted, turning to the Master of Time. Her question went unanswered as Clockwork's eyes were glued on Vizier.

Danny waved his hand in the direction of his friends, "Remove these intruders from my castle at once," he commanded, showing no emotion on his features.

A sickening grin appeared on Vizier's face as he clasped his bony hands together, "With pleasure, your Highness." Vizier gripped the cube in his hands and aimed it at the group.

"Move!" Clockwork shouted, grabbing Jazz and flying off. Nocturne grabbed Tucker and Fright Knight pulled Sam off the ground as cobblestone spikes jutted out from the floor. 

"Keep to the air, we have a better chance of avoiding his attacks that way," Clockwork instructed shifting to his middle aged form. Jazz aimed the Fenton Peeler at Vizier, only for Clockwork to shake her. "Do not waste your efforts on Vizier. Focus on Danny, he needs all of you. You must take the Crown of Fire from him. It is the source of all of his power," the Time Master urged. "Leave Vizier to Nocturne and me."

Jazz nodded and looked to Fright Knight. The ghostly knight whistled with his free hand and a portal opened, with Nightmare hurtling through. The steed flew through the room, avoiding cobblestone spikes and picked up every human. He returned to Fright Knight's side and they prepared to avoid the shifting throne room traps to get to Danny.

Nocturne floated to Clockwork's side, raising an eyebrow at his fellow Elder Spirit. "And how, pray tell, are we supposed to defeat Vizier when he not only has his Relic but mine as well," Nocturne hissed, his voice dripping with malice. In his mind he was already thinking of the many ways he would destroy Vizier for even touching his Relic, but sadly none of them were possible.

Clockwork remained expressionless. "I understand your rage, but this must remain a battle between Vizier and I. I must finish what I started," the Elder Spirit sighed. He raised his staff, twirling it and creating a glowing blue clock. He raised his hand above the stopwatch on his staff and whispered, "Time Stop." He slammed his hand down on the button and in an instant, he and Vizier disappeared.

Nocturne's eyes widened as a slight smirk appeared on his face. "Oh, how very interesting," he mused to himself.

The throne room immediately returned to normal as Fright Knight, Tucker, Jazz and Sam charged at Danny. They came to a stop in front of their friend, who remained seated upon his throne looking incredibly bored.

"Danny, come on. This isn't you," Jazz pleaded, approaching her brother cautiously. "We don't want to hurt you."

Danny emotionless face cracked as he began to laugh, clutching his stomach and kicking his legs up in the air. "You? Hurt me?" he said in between laughs. "I am your King! Nothing you puny beings could even think of doing could possibly bring me harm. Especially with my advisor right he-" Danny cut himself short as he turned to his side and noticed that Vizier had disappeared.

The young halfa rose from his throne, distressed. "Vizier!?" He shouted, his solid green eyes searching the throne room. Danny rolled his eyes before sinking back into his throne, "Useless spirit."

"My liege, I beg you, do not make this harder on yourself. You must fight Vizier's hold on you," Fright Knight begged, dropping to one knee. "Do not become Pariah Dark."

Danny's expression turned deadly serious as he stared daggers at his former bodyguard. "Do not dare mention that weakling's name in my court," he growled. He began to approach them, charging his hands with flaming green energy. "I will warn you one last time, leave my court now or face the consequences."

The four held their ground, making no indication that they were going anywhere.

"Very well," Danny shrugged, "you have chosen your fate." Danny began firing flaming balls of ecto energy at the four. 

Fright Knight deflected the incoming projectiles with his sword, though one or two did strike him. The injuries he gained reopened his wounds from his fight with Vizier, but he remained standing. He returned a few blows, sending waves of green flames Danny's way.

The ghost Prince dodge them with ease and continued to fire upon Fright Knight, oblivious to the fact that the humans began flanking him. Jazz aimed the Fenton Peeler at Danny, taking a shot. 

At the last second, Danny saw the blast and flew out of the way. He regained his composure and charged at Jazz, who stood her ground. As Danny grew closer, he noticed the orange haired teen grin.

"Now, Sam!" she shouted.

Danny turned his head all too late as he saw a giant glob of green goop headed his way. It was a direct hit and pinned him against the stone walls. Danny roared in anger, fighting with all his strength to free himself.

"Hurry, that won't hold him forever!" Fright Knight cried out, using his sword to support himself, "Sir Tucker, the gauntlets! Remove the crown!"

Tucker nodded and ran as fast as he could to Danny. "Stay away from me! You are all lesser beings before my might! I will destroy you all!" Danny screamed, thrashing violently against his goopy prison. His hands burst into flames and began to melt the goo.

"Tucker, hurry!" Sam yelled.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh," Tucker muttered to himself as he got closer to Danny. He fought every urge in his mind that told him to turn tail and run away. He wasn't going to lose his best friend. For once, he would be the one to save Danny. 

The young halfa was almost free as Tucker reached him. The technogeek leaped into the air, charging the gauntlets. He clasped them around the flaming crown atop Danny's head and pulled. It didn't budge.

"Guys! Help!" Tucker yelled, "It's not budging!" Fright Knight, Sam and Jazz raced to Tucker's side, grabbing onto the teen and helping him pull on the crown.

"Unhand my crown at once! I command you as your King!" Danny growled, as he continued to try and free himself.

"Pull!" Sam shouted. All four friends poured the last of their strength in removing the crown and finally succeeded. The crown went flying into the air as Danny let out an ear piercing scream. Blue flames engulfed his body and melted away his restraints. 

Nightmare flew to Fright Knight's side and used his wing to shield his rider and the humans from the flames. The flames died down, and Nightmare lifted his wing, revealing the motionless body of Danny Phantom.

"Danny!" the four cried out in unison, rushing to his side. The halfa looked unharmed but he did not appear to be breathing.

"Oh no, oh no. Danny no, don't do this!" Jazz whispered, tears spilling from her eyes. She pulled her brother's head onto her lap, brushing his white locks out of his face.

Tucker and Sam began to shed tears, with Sam clutching tightly to Danny's hand. Fright Knight simply hung his head in shame, throwing his sword to the opposite side of the room.

The sound of applause from behind them stirred them from their mourning. They all turned to see Nocturne hovering above the ground, a wide grin on his pale face. "Well, I must say, that was quite the show. Very interesting. Such emotion, such drama, such tragedy. Why, it almost made me shed a tear," Nocturne cheerfully said, mock wiping away a tear. "Though it had quite a cliche ending. Not interesting at all."

The three humans aimed their weapons at Nocturne, rage burning in their broken hearts.

Nocturne's eyes widened. "Now now, no need to get sensitive," he cooed. He twirled his hand and in a puff of golden sparkles, a black box appeared in his starry hand. "Thankfully, our Fright Knight broke a few rules and we have a very important Relic at our disposal," the Elder Spirit said gleefully.

He floated over to Danny, opening the box and pulling out a white crystal attached to a silver chain. Inside the crystal was Danny's symbol in a black, vein-like design. The young halfa's body began to float away from Jazz and came to rest in front of Nocturne. The enormous spirit gently draped the crystal around Danny's neck and scooped him into his arms. He floated away from the four towards the throne.

"Where are you going with Danny!" Jazz shouted, aiming the Fenton Peeler at Nocturne's back.

"Be still, little human. I am not going to bring harm to the halfa. I merely want to see something truly interesting," Nocturne assured her. The starry spirit sat Danny down in the throne and backed away. "Now," Nocturne whispered as he morphed his hand into a starry blade, "do not disappoint me young Prince."

"Wait what are you-" Sam began to ask but her question was cut short by Nocturne piercing Danny's chest with his starry blade.

The world seem to move in slow motion as screams erupted from the three humans. Nocturne's eyes burned with excitement as he drove the blade deeper into Danny's chest. Fright Knight's eyes went the other side of the room where he had thrown his sword only to find that it had disappeared. Sam charged the Fenton Foamer as Tucker readied his gauntlets. Jazz had tears in her eyes as she aimed the Fenton Peeler at the blade piercing her brother's chest.

"Wait!" a voice shouted. A stone pillar came flying in the direction of the four friends and Nightmare had to swoop in to save them. They turned to look at who had thrown the pillar and saw none other than the Time Master himself.

"Clockwork, what are you doing?!" Sam screamed, aiming the Fenton Foamer at the purple clad ghost.

"You cannot interfere!" Clockwork urged, rapidly shifting between forms.

"But he's killing Danny!" Tucker cried, trying to dismount from the flying horse only for Fright Knight to stop him. "What the heck Fright! I knew we should have never trusted you!" Tucker screamed, tears streaming down his face. The ghostly knight made no response, his eyes were glued to Danny.

Tucker turned to look and his eyes widened. Nocturne broke free from the starry dagger currently lodged in Danny's chest and backed away. Danny's eyes opened, glowing a pure white. The young halfa began to float off the ground as his body was absorbed into a growing, crackling ball of white energy that began forming in Danny's chest.

"Get down!" Nocturne shouted, flying to Clockwork's side and pushing the Master of Time behind a pillar. Sam, Tucker, Jazz, Fright Knight and Nightmare followed suit, taking shelter behind the pillar Clockwork had thrown at them.

The room became engulfed in blinding white light, forcing everyone to shield their eyes. The castle began to rumble as the light flooded every room of the castle, until the entirety of Phantom's Keep was a ball of white light. The energy finally dispersed, flying to every corner of the Ghost Zone. 

In the throne room, the light faded away and Danny's body went limp, and hurtled towards the ground. Fright Knight rushed out from behind the pillar and caught Danny, resting his limp form on the floor. Jazz, Tucker and Sam soon rushed out from behind the pillar to see the young halfa completely unharmed. There was no mark where Nocturne had pierced him and the crystal had disappeared. But most importantly, there was a steady rise and fall of his chest.

Tears of joy was on each of the humans' face as they hugged each other in joy. 

Danny groaned as his eyes fluttered open. Fright Knight helped him sit upright as Danny clutched his head. "Ugh, am I dead?" he asked. In response to that question he received a swift punch in the arm from Sam. "Ow!" he cried out, "What the heck, Sa-" Danny was cut off by his friends wrapping him in a bear hug.

"Uh guys," Danny wheezed, "I can't breathe." His friends released him and he noticed a ghost that looked a lot like Nocturne and Clockwork floating off to the side. They seemed to be talking quietly to each other, and Clockwork handed the Nocturne-looking ghost a blue box.

Fright Knight gripped Danny's shoulder, returning the teen's attention to his friend. "It is good to have you back, my liege."

Danny smiled at Fright Knight, slightly confused. "Uh, good to be back, Fright," he chuckled.

Clockwork floated over to the five, shifting to his elderly form. Just as Danny was about to greet the ghost, his friends aimed their weapons at the Time Master. Fright Knight reached for his sword, forgetting that it had gone missing, only to find that it had been returned to its sheath.

"You better have a good explanation for this, Clockwork," Sam hissed. Tucker and Jazz nodded in agreement, glaring at the spirit. Danny looked around wildly, absolutely confused.

Clockwork sighed, lowering his head. "You are angry and confused. I understand. But we do not have time to waste," the Elder Spirit instructed, grabbing Danny's arm and helping him to his feet. "A new ruler must be crowned today. I swear to you that all your questions will be answered in time. For now, we must act with haste." Clockwork explained while floating around the room.

"We have a coronation to throw."


	16. King of the Ghost Zone

Despite everyone's pestering, Clockwork refused to answer any of their questions and went about repairing the throne room. Nocturn helped here and there but mostly remained off to the side, staring into the blue box Clockwork had given him.

Fright Knight, Sam, Tucker, and Jazz caught Danny up to speed on everything that happened with Vizier, him being mind controlled, Elder Spirits and anything else that they could think of. Danny was reeling with all this information being given to him, but what had him most on edge was the fact that the coronation was today. He was out of time. He was going to be crowned as the new ruler of the Ghost Zone whether he wanted to or not.

Danny excused himself from his group of friends and headed towards the doors of the throne room. Jazz reached out to stop him but Fright Knight held her back. 

"I believe the Prince needs some time to himself. A lot has happened to him in a short amount of time," he said quietly. 

Jazz bit her lip and stared at her brother as he shuffled towards the large black doors. She sighed, and turned away, choosing to help clean up the throne room. Sam and Tucker joined in as Fright Knight rested against Nightmare, letting his wounds heal.

Just as Danny reached the doors, a hand clasped his upper arm and pulled him out of the way as the doors crashed open and in flooded a tidal wave of castle servants. Danny jerked himself free from the unknown hand's grip and turned to see the Nocturn-looking ghost towering over him.

"I am not 'Nocturn-looking'," the ghost pouted, "I am Nocturn. And I am quite offended you don't recognize your old enemy." He finished by crossing his starry arms and scowling slightly at Danny.

"Wait a second, how did you-" Danny started, before his eyes widened at what the ghost admitted. He began to charge his hands with green ecto-energy when Nocturn raised a glittery hand.

"I am not here to fight you, little one," he said quickly, "I merely wanted to offer some advice." 

Danny lowered his hands but still remained on defense. He wasn't ready to trust Nocturn just yet. 

Nocturn sighed, allowing his form to shrink so he was almost the same height as Danny. He held out his hands and gave Danny an expectant looking, silently asking the teen if this was better. Danny made no change in his posture nor did he give a sign of acknowledgement. The starry spirit sighed again, "I can tell the whole, Prince of the Ghost Zone is causing you quite the amount of stress. Might I suggest you just... put it on hold?" he offered, shrugging.

Danny's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?" the halfa questioned, "The coronation is today. I'm out of time and I doubt I'll be allowed to refuse now." Danny finished by throwing his hands in the air, exasperated.

Shaking his head, Nocturn continued, "You misunderstand me. You don't have to refuse, you can just pass on the position until you are ready." A smug grin appeared on Nocturn's face as he watched Danny's expression become hopeful. This was all too easy.

"But, who would I pass on the position to?" Danny asked, mentally going over ghosts he thought were trustworthy. There was Dora, but she already ran her own kingdom. Frostbite had an entire tribe to take care of, and would he even be able to survive outside the Far Frozen? Thoughts raced through Danny's mind and Nocturn winced. He placed a hand on Danny's shoulder, drawing the teen's attention to him.

"When the time for the coronation comes, announce that you are stepping down for the time being, and are naming Galahad as your temporary successor," Nocturn instructed, staring into Danny's eyes. 

Danny tilted his head in confusion. He opened his mouth to ask who Galahad was, but found that the words wouldn't come out. "W-Who..." Danny finally managed to mutter when loud music began to play, cutting the young halfa off.

The teen whipped around to see that the throne room had been completely transformed. Streamers and flowers adorned the walls, a crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling and a carpet leading from the door to the throne had been laid on the ground. Stone benches stretched out on either side of the carpets, with enough room to hold thousands.

Nocturn grew to his normal size and placed a large hand on Danny's back, ushering the teen out of the throne room and into the hands of several maids and footmen. "Hurry now. You don't want to be late for your own coronation!" Nocturn called, as Danny was led away, his voice uncharacteristically cheerful. The starry spirit grinned to himself and floated back into the throne room where an unhappy Clockwork was waiting.

"What?" Nocturn asked, floating past Clockwork, "You're not the only mastermind here, old friend." The Elder Spirit of Mind floated down the aisle, calling over his shoulder in a hushed voice, "I have plans of my own, too."

Clockwork's eyes narrowed as he shifted to his toddler form. Had he made a mistake in trusting Nocturn? Only time would tell. For now, he had to ensure the coronation went off without a hitch. He followed after Nocturn as his eyes drifted to his staff. He noticed a smudge on the clockface of his staff. Using his glove, he wiped it away with ease and glimpsed at his reflection on the small surface. Closing his eyes, he continued towards the front of the room. He couldn't let his mind drift, not now. Not when he was so close.

Hey-o, Normal Line Break here. Wow it's been a while. Good to be back and see all you readers. Hope you're liking the chapter. Now if you'll excuse me, I hear a margarita calling my name. Continue on reading!

The throne room was prepared for a large celebration, but the only attendants to this ceremony were a few representatives of the Observant Council, Fright Knight, Nocturn, Clockwork and Danny's three human allies.

"I can't believe Danny is going through with this," Sam muttered, slouching in her seat.

"Is there nothing we can do? We can't stop this at all?" Tucker questioned, looking to Fright Knight.

The ghostly knight shook his head. "The Observants and Time Master have decreed it as such. We are powerless." Danny's words of doubt about being the new Ghost Prince rang in Fright Knight's head. He wished he could be by his liege's side, doing his best to encourage him, but his injuries prevented him from doing so.

"I'm still scared about the crown," Jazz added, narrowing her eyes at the flaming crown hovering above a satin pillow atop a small pillar next to the throne. "I know Clockwork said Vizier isn't a problem anymore but I can't help but feel like he isn't telling us everything," she said, casting a sideways glance at the purple clad ghost.

Once the throne room had been fully repaired, Jazz, Sam and Tucker all cornered Clockwork and demanded answers. Clockwork assured them that Vizier was gone for good and that Danny would have no further issues taking the throne. The humans tried to force an answer out of Clockwork about what Nocturn had done to Danny and why Clockwork defended him but Clockwork simply shifted to his middle aged form and floated away. Fright Knight had advised them that once Clockwork was done speaking, they weren't going to get any further answers from him. Begrudgingly, the humans left it at that and instead focused their efforts on helping the castle staff. 

Now that the moment was almost upon them, they wished desperately that they could cause a huge scene and sweep Danny out of the castle, away from all these responsibilities he didn't feel ready for.

Music filled the hall as the black and green patterned doors opened, revealing Danny Phantom in his Ghost Prince form. His white cape flowed elegantly behind him as he made his way to the throne, head held high. His eyes showed no signs of fear or doubt as he passed by his friends. Once he was in the sight of his friends he glanced their way and winked.

Jazz, Tucker and Sam muttered silently amongst themselves about what Danny was doing. They had seen that look on his face many times before. Danny had a plan.

The young halfa arrived in front of the throne, taking a long look at it before turning to face the small crowd. An Observant floated next to the Crown of Fire, lifting it from its pedestal and turning to the audience.

"Today, we crown a new King. The next ruler of the Ghost Zone. May he lead us into prosperity in the name of the Creator!" The Observant announced, raising the crown in the air. There were no cheers, only bitter silence. The Observant floated towards Danny and just as he about to place the crown on Danny's head, the teen ducked away, waving his hands above his head.

"Wait, hold on. Just wait a second," Danny said quickly. All eyes were on Danny. He gulped, taking a deep breath before straitening his back. His eyes flicked to the spot where Nocturn was sitting and the starry spirit had an encouraging smile plastered on his pale features. "I am not ready to be your new King," Danny admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. 

"It does not matter if you are ready or not!" an Observant seated in the audience cried out, rising from his seat, "The Council has spoken!"

"Okay, I get that," Danny said, backing away from the Observant holding the crown as he continually tried to raise the crown over Danny's head. "But what if, I just hand over the throne to someone else for a little while? Until I'm ready for it?" Danny offered, "I'm just a kid, I haven't even graduated high school yet!"

Sam, Jazz and Tucker smiled, proud of Danny for standing up for himself while Fright Knight was amazed by his liege's bravery. Standing against the Observant Council's decree was a bold move and he hoped it would not end badly for the young halfa. Meanwhile Nocturn was holding back laughter in his seat as Clockwork's expression remained emotionless, though his grip on his staff tightened which did not go unnoticed by Nocturn.

"And who do you suppose would be a fitting replacement, your Highness?" another Observant asked, mockingly.

"Um," Danny began, dodging the crown holding Observant once again, "I think Galahad would be a pretty good choice."

The room went silent.

"How..." Fright Knight said, his voice shaking as he slowly rose from his seat, "How do you know that name?" The ghostly knight limped towards Danny as the teen backed away from his former bodyguard. 

"Uh... I just... I didn't..." Danny stammered as Fright Knight grew closer. Nightmare flew behind Danny, blocking his path. The teen bumped into the winged horse, turning to look at the steed. When he turned back around he was staring directly at Fright Knight. "Do you know who he is?" Danny asked as he felt his throat dry up.

"Galahad," Fright Knight whispered, "is my name."

Danny's eyes became as big as saucers. "You're Galahad?" Danny gasped. 

Fright Knight's eyes narrowed in confusion as an Observant suddenly appeared between the halfa and ghost knight, separating the two. "Enough of this," he warned, his giant eyeball head glaring at the two ghosts. "It does not matter who is who, we must crown a King that the Council has agreed upon. And that is Danny Phantom." 

"Now wait a moment Paradai," another Observant wearing a golden sash chimed in, floating in front of Danny. "Maybe the boy has a point."

Danny peeked out from behind the golden sashed Observant, eyeing Fright Knight. The ghostly knight returned Danny's stare as the two of them shrugged, equally confused at the current event.

"Airian, you cannot make a judgement without the Council's approval!" the Observant that separated Fright Knight and Danny, Paradai, scolded. He pointed a bony finger at Danny, squinting his enormous eyeball at the teen, "The boy must be crowned and will be advised by a court hand picked by the Council. That is what was agreed upon!"

"Oh my," Nocturn whispered leaning over to Clockwork, "this is getting quite interesting. Shouldn't you step in?"

"You know I can't, Nocturn," Clockwork hissed back, never taking his eyes off the Observants.

The other Observant, Airian, sighed. "The boy is clearly unwillingly to bear the weight of the crown," he said, placing a hand on Danny's shoulder. The teen shivered under the touch and stared up at the Observant. "I feel that, in this circumstance, we allow him to bend the rules a bit," Airian finished, looking down at Danny. He blinked at the teen, but Danny felt that it was meant as a wink.

Paradai's eye narrowed and he clearly wanted to continue the argument, but decided it would be pointless and returned to his seat, grumbling to himself about the Council under his breath.

Danny's shoulder was released and Airian crouched down so he was eye level with the teen. "If I may, your Highness?" he questioned, pointing at the Ring of Rage on Danny's hand. 

Danny blinked rapidly and looked at the ring on his finger. "Oh, of course," he said quickly, fumbling to get the ring off. Once he removed the ring, his princely garments disappeared in a puff of green flames. He handed the ring to Airian, who bowed slightly before rising to face Fright Knight.

The ghostly knight cast a glance at Danny, who merely smiled. "I may not have known that you were Galahad, but I think you're gonna make an awesome King," he chuckled, lightly punching Fright Knight in the arm.

Fright Knight blinked in shock. He dropped to one knee in front of Danny bowing his head. "I once told you I would stand by and serve you no matter what, my liege," the former bodyguard began, "and if this is what you truly wish for, I gladly accept the responsibility. Until you are ready to claim your true place on the throne."

Danny laughed awkwardly, "Yeah, not sure when that will be so don't worry about not getting comfy." The teen patted Fright Knight on the shoulder, and helped him to his feet. Danny let Fright Knight use him as a support and led him towards the throne. Airian floated ahead of them and took the crown from the Observant that had been trying to chase Danny down.

The golden sashed Observant faced Fright Knight. "Do you, sir Galahad, accept your role as King Regent until Danny Phantom is of age to ascend the throne?" Airian asked.

Fright Knight patted Danny on the back and released the teen, standing tall and proud. "I do," he replied, puffing out his chest, placing his fist over his core.

"Then by the power vested in me by the Observant High Council," Airian announced loudly, raising the Crown of Fire above Fright Knight's helmet, "I declare you King Galahad of the Ghost Zone!" Airian placed the crown atop Fright Knight's helmet and handed the Ring of Rage to him. 

Fright Knight glanced over at Danny to see that the teen had the biggest grin on his face. He winked at his former bodyguard and bowed. Fright Knight felt a warmth erupt from his core as he faced his new subjects. He was determined to not let his former liege down. He would rule fairly and justly, until Danny was ready to take his rightful place on the throne.

Jazz, Tucker, Sam and Nocturn all applauded happily while there was scattered applause from the Observants. Clockwork tapped his staff on the ground as he shifted to his elderly form.

"Now, let us celebrate our new King by-" Airian began, only to be interrupted by the doors of the throne room flying open. All the attendees were on their feet at once, aiming their weapons and abilities at the intruder. 

"What is the meaning of this?!" the Observant known as Paradai demanded.

"Hold on," Danny whispered, walking past Fright Knight, squinting at the unannounced figure currently lying face-down on the floor in front of the doors, "is that...?" Danny flew towards the intruder, eyes widening in realization. He turned the motionless body over as gasped as he recognized the ghost.

"Ghost Writer?!" Danny cried out, as the others surrounded him.

Ghost Writer groaned as his eyes fluttered. His clothes were burned and covered in green blood. He lifted a hand and weakly grabbed the front of Danny's HAZMAT suit. "I need... your help..." Ghost Writer said weakly, before he lost consciousness.

Danny looked around from his friends to the Observants, holding the now unconscious body of Ghost Writer in his arms. "What the heck is going on?!" Danny cried out as Sam pushed her way to his side and began inspecting Ghost Writer's wounds.

Off to the side, Nocturn and Clockwork watched on without interfering. "My oh my," Nocturn mused, elbowing Clockwork, "things are certainly going to get interesting now." He finished with a chuckle as Clockwork shifted to his toddler form.

Danny left Ghost Writer in the hands of Sam and the Observants. He approached Tucker, Jazz and Fright Knight. "We have to check out Ghost Writer's realm. I fought this guy before and he wouldn't come to me without a really good reason," Danny informed them. He mentally shuddered at the memory of being trapped in Ghost Writer's Christmas poem, but he felt that he kind of owed the ghost for changing his mind about Christmas. Though the young halfa did wonder how he got out of Walker's jail. Those questions would have to wait until Ghost Writer recovered.

Sam appeared at Danny's side, resting her elbow on her friend's shoulder. "I'm coming too. Ghost Writer is being taken care of by the castle staff. Plus, if you're going on a mission, you're gonna need the team muscle," she said with a smirk, flexing her muscles. 

Danny smiled warmly at his gothic friend. Sometimes he didn't know where he'd be without Sam, or any of his friends for that matter.

"Let's get to the Speeder! It'll get us there faster," Jazz said, leading the way out the doors. Sam, Danny, Tucker and Fright Knight followed after her, racing through the castle. Observants could be heard calling for Fright Knight to stay, but he ignored their cries. His first act as King would be to see the threat that attacked one of his subjects.

They arrived at the speeder and piled in, with Danny as a guide to Ghost Writer's realm. After around an hour, they arrived at their destination and were horrified at the sight of it.

"Um, please tell me that's what it looked like the last time you were here," Tucker asked Danny, a tremble in his voice.

Danny couldn't even form a response. Where Ghost Writer's magnificent mansion once stood, was a smoking pile of rubble. Burned pieces of paper and debris fluttered aimlessly around them. "Who could have done this?" Danny wondered aloud, pressing his hands against the window of the speeder.

Meanwhile...

Vlad sat in his darkened study, aimlessly stroking his beloved cat, Maddie. A burning feeling rose in his chest and he sighed. "You certainly took your time, didn't you?" Vlad chided, not taking his eyes off his cat.

A hooded ghost emerged from the shadows. "Sneaking into a castle filled with Observants is no easy feat, even for me," the ghost growled.

"No matter," Vlad said, waving his hand. Maddie stretched and leaped off Vlad's desk, curling up next to the fireplace. "Did you find what you need?" he asked, folding his hands under his chin and looking up at his ally. 

The hooded ghost's eyes narrowed. "No, I fear what I've been searching for is no longer in my grasp," the ghost admitted. Vlad sighed and leaned back in his chair. He was about to complain until the ghost raised a pale hand. "But," the unknown spirit added, "I did not leave empty handed." The ghost opened their cloak and out dropped a pile of items and animals. Specifically a golden dove in a cage, a silver harp, and pair of luminescent blue shackles. A black and silver scaled snake curled around the ghost's arm, nuzzling it affectionately.

Vlad raised an eyebrow. "And how exactly does this junk help us?" he questioned.

"Did you get the book?" the ghost retorted, scratching the snake's head. The snake hissed happily and glared at the elder halfa.

Vlad slid back in his chair and opened a drawer in his desk, pulling out an old, leather bound book. It had a series of gold and black symbols covering the front that Vlad could not make sense of. The leather was tattered and the color of it had faded into a soft blue. He had checked the contents of the book but it had been written in the same symbols that adorned the cover of the book. "Is this the book you speak of?" he asked, dropping the book on his desk. "I'll have you know it was quite difficult to get a hold of. You did not inform me of the Ghost Writer's abilities in full detail."

The hooded ghost's eyes lit up with glee, completely ignoring Vlad's comment. Pale hands emerged from the cloak and snatched the book, flipping through the pages eagerly. "Yes, this is it," the ghost said excitedly, their eyes never leaving the pages. "With this book and the Relic's I discovered, we officially have our first lead, Plasmius."

Vlad grinned, his eyes flashing red as black rings formed around his waist and spread over his body, transforming him into his ghostly alter ego. "Our first clue to finding the elusive Ancients of the Ghost Zone," he cackled. The hooded ghost joined in on his laughter until their laughs were echoing in the night.

TO BE CONTINUED IN BOOK TWO: THE PHANTOM PROPHECY

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all, it's your friendly neighbourhood Sparks! Hope you enjoyed the story! Keep your eyes peeled for the sequel 'The Phantom Prophecy', coming soon! Until we meet again, Sparks away!


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